The Witcher 3’s Romance Options Almost Looked Very Different

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt’s romance options were originally quite different, as the game initially did not force the player to choose between any two partners, a senior CD Projekt Red official has revealed. The decision to make them more dramatic was made relatively late in The Witcher 3’s development, primarily because CDPR was looking for some je ne sais quoi.

While The Witcher 3 offers extensive romance options, most are presented as one-time flings. Geralt’s only two potential long-term partners are Triss Merigold and Yennefer of Vengerberg. Their romantic questlines must be pursued exclusively to reach their (happy) conclusions. However, this wasn’t always the case.

The Witcher 3 Originally Didn’t Include the Triss–Yennefer Romance Choice

The Witcher 3’s romance content originally did not include any kind of exclusive relationships. That’s according to CDPR joint CEO Adam Badowski, who revealed as much in a recent interview with PC Gamer. The creative team eventually had a change of heart because they felt the story did not have enough personal conflict, even though this wasn’t immediately clear at the time. “There was a lack of something,” Badowski recalled, adding that as soon as the idea of choosing between Yennefer and Triss was floated, the developer realized what that “something” actually was.

The Witcher 3’s Love Triangle Was a ‘Pretty Late’ Addition

The love triangle was far from the first change made to the game’s initial concept. “This decision [to add the Triss-Yennefer romance choice] was made pretty late,” Badowski explained, characterizing the move as “great.” The executive did not elaborate on whether both romances were part of the game from the outset. Triss was also romanceable in the first two Witcher games, but Yennefer was merely referenced in them, with Wild Hunt marking her debut in CDPR’s franchise based on Andrzej Sapkowski’s books.

The Witcher 1 Remake May Approach Romance Differently Than the Original

Elsewhere during the interview, Badowski expressed regret over the inclusion of The Witcher 1’s objectifying sex cards, which were awarded for romantic encounters. “It was childish,” he opined, noting that The Witcher 3 handles the subject matter more thoughtfully and stays truer to “the emotional aspects” of Sapkowski’s book characters. Reading between the lines, his remarks imply that The Witcher 1 remake—first confirmed to be in development in late 2022—will handle romance differently than the 2007 game did.

As far as anyone outside CDPR knows, the remake of the first Witcher game is still in a high-level concept stage of development as of late 2025, though it might be nearing pre-production by now. The studio’s next game is The Witcher 4, which has been in full-fledged production since November 2024 and is thus expected to hit the market in the 2027–2028 period, barring any major setbacks.