Witcher 3 Cut Content: 11 Things We Wish Weren’t Removed

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is a true gaming masterpiece. Despite this, you’ll be surprised to hear that a lot of content was cut from the game, according to leaked documents.

It reached a point where CD Projekt Red allegedly planned to release a Director’s Cut of Witcher 3 with all of this removed content. Unfortunately, that never happened, as the development of Cyberpunk 2077 took the bulk of their attention. 

Still, it’s intriguing to see what could’ve been. Here are the 11 coolest things we wish weren’t cut from Witcher 3.

Sile De Tansarville Was Going to be a Major Character

In May 2014, sensitive documents regarding The Witcher 3 were leaked to the public. One particularly interesting revelation was that Síle de Tansarville, one of the founding members of the Lodge of Sorceresses and a major character in Witcher 2, was also going to play a prominent role in Witcher 3.

Instead, what players got was a minor appearance depending on whether she lived or died during the events of Witcher 2.

The same can be said of Fringilla Vigo and Margarita Laux-Antille, two other Lodge Sorceresses that briefly appear in Witcher 3. There was a lot of care put into their voice actors and models, suggesting that they were also meant to be notable characters.

Iorveth And the Plague Questline

Iorveth, a beloved major character from The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings, was intended to feature prominently in a sprawling Catriona plague questline.

The plague was unleashed on the North by a Nilfgaardian doctor, and Geralt was going to forge an alliance with Iorveth and Roche to find a cure. The quest would also feature Ves and Thaler and a rogue Nilfgaardian scientist who would provide the cure. 

The quest line was so big and detailed that it had its own team of writers and designers, and remnants of it can be found in the quests An Eye for an Eye, Blood Ties, and Contract: Patrol Gone Missing.

However, this extensive narrative arc was regrettably axed during the later stages of development because it didn’t fit well with the game and required too much work. 

There Was A Scenario Where Geralt Would’ve Cooked For Yennefer

During the “Va Fail, Elaine” quest, Yennefer and Geralt must undo the spell on Uma. If Geralt is in a romance with her at the time, the sorceress is supposed to request a meal from him.

Players would have either done the bare minimum and made some disappointing scrambled eggs or gone all out and added onions, mushrooms, and peppers to make a delicious omelet.

The cool thing is that the content is still in the game and can be enabled at the start of the “Va Fail, Elaine” quest with the console command addfact(q401_cooking_enabled).

Geralt Would’ve Infiltrated The Wild Hunt In His Quest To Find Ciri

The Witcher 3 nearly included Geralt infiltrating the villainous Wild Hunt. Geralt would disguise himself with magic to try and find clues on where Ciri might be, all while sailing on the Wild Hunt’s ship, the Naglfar.

The devs had complex dialogue trees prepared, and saying the wrong thing would blow Geralt’s cover. It’s really unfortunate this was cut, as it would’ve added much-needed depth to the Wild Hunt and explored their story more.

Many players agree the Wild Hunt felt quite underwhelming compared to other villains and the rest of the game as a whole. 

Fake Ciri from the Books Was Going to Play a Role

Fans of the books are well aware of the fake Ciri that Emhyr presents to the masses, trying to hide the fact that the real deal escaped his grasp. This plotline was apparently going to be used in The Witcher 3 too. A false Ciri was slated to emerge in the Skellige Isles, adopting the name “Becca.”

However, CD Projekt Red decided against this, possibly to avoid confusion for those who didn’t read the books. Interestingly, the moniker “Becca” was eventually repurposed for the character Cerys.

A Bunch Of Children Were Supposed To Be Impressed By Geralt

While traversing White Orchard, Geralt was supposedly going to encounter children hurling insults at him. Confronting them would’ve led to a sequence of events where the White Wolf is eventually encouraged to show what he’s all about.

If this was accepted, Geralt would’ve displayed his accuracy with a crossbow and used his signs to wow the children. Eventually, one of the boys would’ve declared his intentions to become a witcher, prompting Geralt to have a sobering discussion about the realities of monster hunting and the limited lifespan of anyone practicing his craft. 

This quest would’ve been a great way to introduce new players to the trials and tribulations of a witcher, and it’s a shame that this humanizing moment was cut.

Geralt Could’ve Interacted With A Talking Water Hag

In another cut White Orchard quest, Geralt would’ve encountered a water hag who spoke to him and revealed her tragic past. Ten years ago, her husband’s infidelity sent her into a rage, but she was tragically pulled into the water by drowners before she could confront him. She implores Geralt to summon him and make him pay for his actions.

If Geralt agrees, he hears something different from the husband, who insists that his wife died years ago, buried nearby. The truth of the matter is uncovered if Geralt lures the man to the bridge. After the water hag exacts her vengeance, it’s revealed that she was actually the mistress all along. The wife had never known about her husband’s cheating, dying blissfully in ignorance.

The White Wolf Would’ve Acted In Dandelion’s Play

One of Dandelion’s ballads, “The Edge of the World,” was supposed to be adapted into a fully-fledged play in the game. He would’ve enlisted Geralt’s aid when an actor slated for a major role goes missing. Eventually, Geralt discovers that the man is dead, and a desperate Dandelion proposes that Geralt step in to play the role.

Geralt participates in the play and is given the chance to deliver lines accurately for a reward. Failing to stick to the script results in the audience booing his acting, even if Dandelion himself finds something to laugh about the situation. 

It’s possible that this quest was cut because Geralt also has to act in a play in the quest “The Play’s The Thing,” leading to one of the funniest moments in the game. 

The Wild Hunt Was Going to Attack Novigrad

The climactic showdown between The Wild Hunt and Geralt & co. was originally set in Novigrad. The city would’ve been frozen and under attack by the Wild Hunt, with Nilfgaardian and Redanian armies adding to the chaos. 

Unfortunately, this was scrapped due to engine constraints and performance issues, with the framerate chugging horribly during the epic battle. To make things simple, the final fight was relocated to Skellige instead.

By the time Blood and Wine came out, CD Projekt Red was more familiar with the engine. They decided to prove that they could make a large battle work with the vampire attack on Beauclair. 

Two Locations In Skellige Were Removed

The numerous boring submerged treasures in Skellige make it clear that this area didn’t receive as much care as the other locations in The Witcher 3. It’s only a given that some locations were cut out before they could be integrated.

One of these locations was Dalvik, a village only seen in trailers for the game. The other was an elaborate floating market with conjoined ships off the coast of Ard Skellig. It’s a shame that the latter was cut out, as it would’ve been a unique area to explore.

A Bunch Of Monsters Didn’t Make the Final Cut

The monster variety in The Witcher 3 is impressive. Players are bound to find a wealth of unique monsters in every corner of the game world, so it’s hard to believe that some monsters didn’t make it to the final product.

Notable mentions include demons from Slavic methodology called Hanged Men, created when men were hanged during war. They were supposed to try to suffocate the player with their hands and ropes.

Another one is the dreaded Nidhogg, a dragon-like creature of Norse mythology. A related removed quest would have Yennefer trap Geralt on an island in Skellige, where the only way to escape would be to complete trials on the island or face off against a Nidhogg.