Insights from The Witcher 3’s Quest Designer and Geralt’s Voice Actor on the Game’s Surprising Final Expansion

One of the biggest surprises of 2026 was definitely the return of Geralt of Rivia. With Ciri taking center stage in The Witcher 4, many fans thought Geralt had finally put his sword to rest. After catching a behind-the-scenes demo at Gamescom featuring the new expansion starring Geralt, I was eager to dive deeper into this unexpected chapter of the monster-slayer’s saga. Here’s what to anticipate from Songs of the Past, as shared by the long-time quest designer of The Witcher, Pawel Sasko, and the iconic voice of Geralt, Doug Cockle.

How did you feel when you first learned about Geralt’s return?

Doug Cockle: I was completely taken aback—I had no clue CDPR was planning this. I knew Geralt would appear in some form in The Witcher 4, but Songs of the Past was a delightful surprise because I thought Geralt’s journey had come to an end.

Paweł Sasko: The concept for Songs of the Past actually originated quite a while ago. It was crafted by our core Witcher team, including narrative director Philip Weber and myself, one of the quest designers from The Witcher 3. We were searching for the right context, timing, and talent. After we launched Cyberpunk 2077, part of the team immediately began working on The Witcher 4. In 2022, we released the next-gen update for The Witcher 3, and that team was always focused on the Witcher universe and what more we could do with it, which is when the ideas for this expansion began to take shape. So, we’re not stepping back; that team has always been immersed in The Witcher.

Letten looks like a refreshing new locale for The Witcher. Can you tell us more about this new island that players will be exploring?

Paweł Sasko: Letten is situated in northeastern Redania. One of our goals was to create a distinct identity for this area that feels different from previous locations. The Witcher 3 is vast, with unique places like Novigrad, Velen, and Skellige. For Toussaint in Blood and Wine, we drew inspiration from France and Spain. Here, we looked at the Polish and English countrysides for defining elements. The art direction incorporates colors like pink and violet, combined with new ray tracing technology, to create a fresh yet cohesive Witcher feel.

We aim to make it feel new while staying true to the original game. Players picking up the Complete Edition years from now shouldn’t feel like they’re playing a completely different game. We couldn’t just replicate No Man’s Land, so we had to be meticulous with our inspirations to strike that balance.

The demo blends dreamy, fairy-tale aesthetics with a darker, more ethereal sense of horror. What inspired this?

Paweł Sasko: The surreal, dark fairy-tale vibe comes directly from the books. Andrzej Sapkowski drew from fairy tales and English and Irish myths when writing. In storytelling, we refer to this as deconstruction—breaking down a piece of art to its core inspirations. One of Sapkowski’s key storytelling techniques is the “fairy tale gone wrong.” We’ve utilized this in The Witcher 1, The Witcher 3, and Blood and Wine. For Songs of the Past, we wanted to lean into those original roots while making it feel airy, dreamy, and slightly different. It connects to how the story begins when Geralt wakes up after a celebration and gradually pieces everything together.

Songs of the Past’s story revolves around tracking down Dandelion, one of Geralt’s oldest friends. Why Dandelion?

Paweł Sasko: The Witcher 3 focused heavily on themes of fatherhood and the bond between Geralt and Ciri, while this expansion centers on friendship. I wrote a few things for Dandelion in the base game and expansions, and I always felt he didn’t get enough space to truly shine as a character. I crafted the quest where you meet all his girlfriends and Priscilla’s last concert to build that relationship and showcase who he is. Players might see him as just a light-hearted clown, but he and Geralt share a deep bond and understand each other. Dandelion challenges Geralt in interesting ways, prompting him to reflect on things he might not have considered.

Doug Cockle: In the books, there are several stories that reveal a serious side of Dandelion, his family history, and more. The games haven’t had the chance to explore that yet. He’s not just a jokester; there’s a lot more depth to him. That’s what makes their friendship so compelling.

Paweł Sasko: What I find fascinating as a designer is that Geralt has this tough, almost impenetrable exterior. Writing a character like this can be challenging, as you have to convey depth through absence. Dandelion serves as a counterbalance, breaking through that shell at times, which helps us develop Geralt’s character. It creates a unique narrative dynamic.

Doug Cockle: Dandelion acts as a foil to Geralt’s seriousness. In many ways, he embodies Geralt’s sense of humor—a less dry version of it. This expansion offers a wonderful deep dive into a part of the Witcher world we haven’t fully explored yet. I’m really excited for players to experience it.

How have you aimed to modernize The Witcher 3’s gameplay 11 years later?

Paweł Sasko: When you look at The Witcher 3 and the feedback from players and critics, gameplay was the most criticized aspect—it felt the most outdated. That’s what we aimed to improve. Having worked on update 2.0 for Cyberpunk, we approached this remaster as a sort of 2.0 overhaul for The Witcher 3. We applied the same design principles from RedEngine 4 that we learned while working on Cyberpunk. We analyzed what frustrated players—like exploration, Geralt’s movement controls, and the absence of finisher attacks. All of that has been addressed, significantly enhancing the gameplay experience.

Speaking of finishers, the combat looks to have had a big overhaul. Can you talk more about what players can expect from Geralt in battle this time around?

Paweł Sasko: In the base game, different builds shared too many passive skills. Now, we’ve introduced many more active abilities, making combat much more interactive. Players will feel the impact of their choices immediately with new moves and synergies.

We’re also adding new tools, like the iron chain. This chain was mentioned multiple times in the books and featured in iconic scenes like the Witcher 1 CGI intro, so I’m thrilled we can finally incorporate that dynamic element into combat.

Many players famously stopped playing The Witcher 3 after The Bloody Baron, feeling satisfied narratively after that beloved quest. You designed that quest, Pawel; how do you ensure that players finish Songs of the Past?

Paweł Sasko: In the Bloody Baron quest, I made several mistakes. It’s almost four hours long when you play it. While the narrative is strong, I could have structured it better for pacing. We’ve learned from our expansions for both The Witcher 3 and Cyberpunk to structure gameplay into focused segments of around 40 minutes of intense, thematic gameplay and story, followed by a breather where players can explore.

There are moments where we break that rule—like in finales or in the Somewhat Damaged quest in Phantom Liberty, where you’re trapped in a bunker with a monster. In those cases, we intentionally keep the player engaged because we want them to feel the tension of the situation.

How did it feel to step back into the booth and voice Geralt again in his own playable adventure?

Doug Cockle: I never really let Geralt go. As an actor, I infuse a bit of myself into every role. In return, I take pieces of the character with me. There’s a symbiotic relationship, and after voicing Geralt for over 20 years, that connection is well-established.

Sometimes, parts of him slip into my daily life. I’ll be at home thinking, [Geralt voice] ‘Oh man, I need to do those dishes. The wind’s howling. Socks need folding.’ I even argued a parking ticket recently and found myself slipping into Geralt’s tone because I was completely in the right! I watched the guy put the ticket on my car while I was trying to pay via the app, so I had to call the company to contest it, sounding a bit like Geralt.

What are you both most proud of about Songs of the Past?

Doug Cockle: Geralt has evolved for me. He’s older, and I’m older too, and bringing that life experience to the character adds depth. I’m always happy to step back into Geralt’s shoes. He’s such a fantastic character, and after all these years, it feels like slipping back into a warm bath.

Paweł Sasko: I’m proud of how bold we are as a company, releasing a brand-new expansion 11 years after the original game’s launch. That it’s free on day one and available on Switch too—it’s almost unheard of, and I take great pride in that. There are also parts of the story arc that I’m really excited about, but we can discuss that after the release…