The Witcher 3 developer explained how “honey beer” shaped the look of the Songs of the Past expansion
Translated with AI from the Russian original.
A new region to explore will appear in the game.
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt will soon receive a new story expansion, Songs of the Past (or “Ballads of the Past” in the Russian localization). CD Projekt RED representatives are speaking with the media and gradually revealing some details about the DLC.
During a conversation with IGN, level designer Miles Tost spoke about the creation of the new region that players will be able to explore in Songs of the Past. He noted that when creating locations, the studio strives to make each of them unique not only visually, but also in terms of traversal:
In Skellige, for example, you have to travel a lot by boat. Plus, it’s a very mountainous terrain. No Man’s Land (Velen) is a much more open space. And I think in the Letten Valley you will also feel that difference when moving around it. As far as I know, we are not introducing a new traversal mechanic in this DLC, but overall it is very important for us that when you are in a specific area, you distinctly feel its characteristics.
The character of the new region will also manifest in its culture:
There is some British influence in the local aristocracy, but at the same time there are many features of a Polish village. This is evident in the architecture, and in general, we usually think through the cultural identity of such places very deeply. In Skellige, for instance, the Viking influence is stronger, whereas here the people have their own alcoholic drink.
The drink is called bracket and, as Tost explains, it is a blend of honey and beer:
It might seem like a small detail, but for us it is very important because it is closely tied to the region’s characteristics. Producing the drink requires honey and hops—and you will find both in this region. And it’s not just a local product that is exported and serves as the backbone of the economy: it even influences what kind of monsters we design for these lands.
CD Projekt RED is developing Songs of the Past together with Fool's Theory studio. The expansion for The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is scheduled for release in 2027.
The Witcher 4 is also in development, currently without a specific release date. However, the developers previously indicated a release window of 2028. The project is being built on Unreal Engine 5.
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