According to the Lead Writer of The Witcher, the Ending of the First Game was a “mistake”

When you think of The Witcher, you think of its dark atmosphere, political intrigues, and Geralt’s gray morality. However, the ending of the first game in the series is still debated years later. Artur Ganszyniec, the lead story designer of The Witcher, stated that the animated scene in the finale was not their choice and was a “mistake.” Furthermore, he claimed that this decision was made without consulting the story team.

The Witcher Ending Made Essential for the Sequel

The first Witcher game ends with a slideshow showing the player the consequences of their choices. Following that calm final scene where Geralt and Roach leave a ruined village, a high-budget CGI scene suddenly appears. This scene, where Geralt saves King Foltest from an assassination attempt, lays the groundwork for the sequel as the assassin is revealed to be a witcher.

According to Ganszyniec, the team wanted to end the game with an open-ended finale where Geralt sets off into the unknown. However, the board decided to add an animated ending. This choice narrowed the scope of The Witcher 2’s story from the start and forced a political narrative.

The lead writer notes that this reduced the chance to focus on more personal themes such as Geralt’s identity, past, and family. According to him, this vision was only fully realized with The Witcher 3. Although The Witcher 2 is remembered as a strong game, it seems the team’s scope was limited behind the scenes.

On the other hand, the planned remake project for the first game in the series has brought this debate back to the forefront. It is not yet known whether CD Projekt RED will preserve that ending exactly as it was. However, it seems that the famous final scene of The Witcher will continue to be discussed even years later.

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