CD Projekt RED recently presented the 29th episode of the “AnsweRED” podcast. The participants discussed some production aspects of The Witcher 4, which the studio is currently working on.
They revealed that to create animal animations, they conducted full motion capture sessions with real dogs and a real horse.
The main character of The Witcher 4, Ciri, will have a horse named Kelpie. The animation recording session for the girl's steed lasted approximately a week. CDPR specialists did not work in their studio; instead, they gathered cameras and other equipment to transport everything to a stable.
Overall, the preparatory stage – from idea to filming – took at least a year: they searched for the right location, tried to figure out how to attach the necessary markers to the animal's body, interacted with specialists who work with horses, etc. CDPR noted that no one was harmed during the filming.
The Witcher 4 does not yet have a release date. Next year, a story expansion called Songs of the Past is planned for The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, and this summer, CDPR is expected to reveal additional details.
The video is available at the following link.