CD Projekt Boss Considers The Witcher 2s Major Plot Fork a Development Resource Waster

The narrative branch that occurs before the second act in The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings allows players to explore mutually exclusive quest paths and experience opposite sides of the ongoing conflict. Will the studio attempt such a maneuver in future titles? It seems unlikely, according to CD Projekt co-leader Adam Badowski.

In an interview with PC Gamer, he explained that the primary difference between the sequel and the immensely successful third installment lies in its structure. The introduction of two distinct paths in The Witcher 2 rendered it more complex, according to Badowski.

Recreating something akin to the second act of the sequel while maintaining the scope of that experience in the third part no longer seemed feasible due to the increased scale. Consequently, CD Projekt RED opted for a different approach better suited to the open-world concept. Additionally, in The Witcher 3, developers focused more on constructing a solid narrative rather than on the available choices, aiming to prevent the story from sagging within the expansive ‘open world’. “At that time, we had many doubts,” shared Badowski.

Immediately after the launch of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, comparisons to Skyrim were prevalent, as it was seen as the benchmark for fantasy RPGs with open worlds at that time. The projects from Bethesda are not particularly renowned for their narrative depth, leading some to tell the CD Projekt RED team that their approach to integrating storytelling into a massive RPG might not succeed. “Thus, it was a crucial moment for the company,” emphasized Badowski.

Currently, CD Projekt RED is hard at work on multiple projects, including a sequel to Cyberpunk 2077 and the fourth installment of The Witcher featuring Ciri in the lead role.