A GDC talk that happened recently with director Pawl Sasko brought some new information to light concerning the development and writing of Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. The major character death of Geralt’s mentor was apparently not easy to decide on for the Witcher 3 devs, and for a good reason. The death was impactful for fans of the series. Even if you haven’t played the games before Witcher 3 or read the books, it’s not hard to empathize. And for those who love the found family trope, such a loss, even in fiction, can have harrowing effects.
Pawel Sasko revealed recently that the decision to go ahead with Vesemir’s death wasn’t easy but necessary for the narrative. For the impact it would have on the audience, as well as what it would do to promote urgency during the story, the death was a necessary evil for the Witcher 3 devs. Just like the writers who brought fans the third Witcher game, the books also took high-stakes scenarios to the next level to keep their fans engaged.
The Witcher 3 Dev Decision Process on Major Character Death
The series of novels by Andrzej Sapkowsi are no stranger to character deaths, similar in theme and narrative drive to the games themselves. Since the games are set after the books conclude, CD Projekt Red followed the books’ themes as they continued the series. They essentially needed death to move the fight more directly against the game’s antagonists. Concerning killing Vesemir, Sasko had this to say:
“Ciri [needed] to actually make a decision that she’s not going to be hunted anymore. She’s going to be a hunter. She’s going to go after the Wild Hunt. But to do that, I needed an actual event that would break her inside, and that was the moment when I proposed to our writer’s team that we kill Vesemir.”
The game handles both the themes and dialogue well, just as the books and Sapkowski’s world intended.