Geralt as NPC and Berengar as Fully Created Character: New Details About 2007’s The Witcher Revealed

Recently, Artur Ganszyniec, the lead story designer on 2007's The Witcher, gave an interview to CHIP, in which he revealed details and difficulties that CD Projekt RED faced during the development of the original game, and also shared his thoughts on the potential challenges Fool's Theory may face while working on The Witcher Remake—which was announced back in 2022. As it turns out, he also shared more information about the original title, including a surprising alternate role for Geralt and an entirely different protagonist.

As Artur Ganszyniec revealed to CHIP, in one of the early concepts for The Witcher, Geralt of Rivia was once considered a regular NPC, while the main protagonist would instead be a character named Berengar, whom players would fully create and customize. You can see Ganszyniec's full quote on this topic below:

“The first installment of The Witcher was created on the foundations of earlier versions of the script, where Geralt was not yet a hero but an NPC. The main character was supposed to be the witcher created by the player, Berengar. When I joined the project, there were already locations, situations, and characters that had to be used. It tied our hands too. There was no room for Ciri and Yennefer.”

It's curious to think what the fate of The Witcher would have been in that case, but CD Projekt RED probably made the right choice in making Geralt the face of the franchise—he has since become one of the greatest and most beloved heroes in gaming history. In addition to The Witcher Remake, Fool's Theory is also developing a new DLC for The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt— Songs of the Past, which was announced this May. As for CD Projekt RED, the studio is actively working on The Witcher 4, the first game in a new trilogy, as well as Project Sirius, a multiplayer spin-off set in the universe. It has also recently been revealed that CD Projekt RED is involved in the development of a free-to-play co-op title for PC and mobile devices, although there has been no official announcement about this project yet.

The Witcher Remake is in development for PC, Xbox Series X/S, and PlayStation 5, with the game's release date remaining unknown.