It’s hard to believe, but The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt just turned 10 years old. To mark the occasion, CD Projekt RED took a nostalgic and honest look back at the game that defined its legacy — celebrating both its groundbreaking achievements and the lessons learned along the way.
A detailed retrospective published on Eurogamer dives deep into the development of the RPG classic. Journalists spoke with key members of the team, uncovering behind-the-scenes stories about writing, design decisions, and the creative risks that shaped one of gaming’s most beloved titles.
Creative Risks That Paid Off
One of the most notable parts of the piece focuses on how the team reimagined major characters. Rather than faithfully replicating the book version of Ciri, CDPR chose to make her more mature and dynamic. Quest director Paweł Sasko also shared how the now-iconic Bloody Baron questline came to life — turning what could have been a simple side story into one of the trilogy’s emotional highlights.
Flaws and Growing Pains
Despite the game’s success, the team admitted to several missteps. In hindsight, Sasko says they overused Geralt’s “Witcher Vision” mechanic and cluttered the map with too many markers to make the world feel full — a decision they now see as a bit excessive.
The developers also criticized the combat system and gameplay depth, admitting that these elements could have been better. The open world, while expansive, was sometimes seen as feeling artificial in places — a product of their inexperience with large-scale design at the time.
Going Global — and Learning Fast
Back in 2015, CD Projekt wasn’t a household name globally. While popular in Poland and parts of Europe, the studio was relatively unknown in the U.S. That changed with The Witcher 3. The groundwork had been laid with The Witcher 2’s Xbox 360 release, but Wild Hunt was their true breakout moment on the world stage.
Michał Platkow-Gilewski, CDPR’s VP of Marketing and PR, also touched on Cyberpunk 2077, reflecting on how the COVID-19 pandemic forced them to show and test the game online — which, he said, hurt the quality of early feedback and contributed to the rocky launch.
The Netflix Effect — For Better or Worse
Surprisingly, the creators of Netflix’s The Witcher series never consulted CD Projekt during production. While the show’s reputation has since taken a hit, its first season gave the Witcher games a sales boost in 2019 and 2020, briefly reigniting interest in the trilogy.
Looking Ahead with Lessons Learned
CDPR ended its reflection with a powerful metaphor. Back in 2015, creating The Witcher 3 felt like trying to launch a rocket and land it on the moon — blindfolded. Now, the team says, they have maps, tools, and experience to guide their journey into future projects.