The Witcher's author says CDPR rarely consults him about lore when it comes to The Witcher 4

At a publicity event to promote his latest novel, Crossroads of Ravens, Andrzej Sapkowski - the creator of The Witcher books - was asked about his involvement in the highly anticipated The Witcher 4, currently in development by CDPR (CD Projekt Red). He responded by saying that he hadn't had much involvement at all: "It's so rare." This aligns with how the game has been handled by the studio, as numerous additions and changes have been implemented, some of which the author wasn’t entirely on board with.

The Witchers, according to the game, come from various schools. Geralt the White Wolf comes from the Wolf school, along with the Bear, Cat, Griffin, and more, each embodying the characteristics of its school. Sapkowski revealed in an AMA session on Reddit that the whole idea of schools or clans was based on an error, and the reason it hasn’t been corrected is that "videogame people" won’t give up on it. "A single sentence about some 'school of the Wolf' mysteriously made its way into The Last Wish," Sapkowski said. "I later deemed it unworthy of development and narratively incorrect, even detrimental to the plot. Therefore, later, I never included or referenced any Witcher Gryffindors or Slytherins again. Never.”

That’s not all, however; the writer revealed that he doesn’t have much say in the translations of his books either; the only time he’s consulted is when the actual translator contacts him for clarification, suggestions, or advice. “Very rarely - and only due to the goodwill of the translator - I get the chance to see the full translation and can provide some feedback.” He goes on to explain that there is an inevitable loss ( in translation ) that does take place; however, “As for me, I've been lucky with translators. Mostly. In particular, I find the English translation to be very good,” he said.

The relationship the studio and he have is a good point now, and he hopes it will remain that way. "The contracts between me and the game people are excellent right now. Let's hope it stays that way," he said. It wasn’t always the same, though. In 2019, CDPR settled a lawsuit claiming it was not paying the author enough. Polish law says he had the right to seek more money because they were making far more than initially expected, and Sapkowski was seeking $16 million.

The Witcher 4 game is in production, and so far, only one thing seems certain: it won’t be released before 2027. On the other side of the spectrum, Season 4 of the Witcher Netflix series is currently airing, and its showrunner seems to be in a defensive posture over its ratings.

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