The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is one of the greatest games ever crafted. However, it would’ve flopped if it decided to replace Roach with another horse.

CD Projekt Red managed to achieve quite some success with The Witcher 1 and 2, despite the fact that they were some buggy releases. However, the studio really hit the jackpot with The Witcher 3 and created an RPG experience that’s hailed as one of the best ones ever.

The Witcher 3 is still making waves in the gaming industry. (Image via CD Projekt Red)

Even though it’s been eight years since the release of the game, it’s still selling incredibly well and has shipped over 40 million copies so far. However, if CD Projekt Red developers had made a controversial gameplay choice and replaced Roach, the game would’ve proven to be a major flop among fans.

CD Projekt Red almost replaced Roach in The Witcher 3

The Witcher series wouldn’t be the same without Roach. (Image via CD Projekt Red)

Although “Roach” is the name Geralt decides to give every one of his horses due to his nomadic lifestyle and hesitancy to just become too attached, Roach is a close and respected friend of the Witcher. Whenever Geralt wants to mount to ride or a friend to confide in, Roach shows up. Can you ever imagine a game without this beloved companion?

Well, CD Projekt Red did while developing The Witcher 3. While chatting with VG 247, Jakub Szamałek, the game’s principal writer, opened up about the development journey and the various decisions the team took while developing The Witcher 3.

We initially didn’t plan to have underwater exploration – but ended up adding it quite late in the process and had to retroactively add this gameplay mechanic to already existing quests. Oh, and we also originally wanted players to be able to change horses.

During the game’s development phase, CD Projekt Red added many features that weren’t part of the original vision, such as underwater exploration and faced the challenge of fitting them into already-built quests. However, the studio was also considering giving players the ability to switch their horses.

As the developer states, allowing players to replace Roach would’ve been an awful decision. Roach isn’t just a horse; he’s central to the entire franchise and lore. Allowing such an iconic part of the game to be replaced would’ve alienated fans and caused a massive outrage. It’s great that CD Projekt Red backtracked this feature in the game’s final build.

When is The Witcher 3 successor coming out?

The Witcher 4 is still years away from release. (Image via CD Projekt Red)

While The Witcher 3 was an incredible game, it’s time to look out for its successor, The Witcher 4. CD Projekt Red first confirmed the successor’s existence back in 2022. Gamers waited for a long while that almost felt like an eternity. However, The Witcher 4 was finally revealed at The Game Awards 2024.

It’s confirmed that the next Witcher game is an open-world title, and it’s set in a new trilogy that places the spotlight on Ciri as the protagonist. When could we expect to see this title hit the shelves? Well, it’s going to be a long while before we get our hands on the game.

It’s expected that The Witcher 4 won’t be out until 2026 at least. Back in 2022, the studio’s CEO stated that the title was at least three years away. However, the cinematic trailer we saw at The Game Awards 2024 didn’t showcase any gameplay.

If you’ve forgotten, The Witcher 3‘s cinematic trailer dropped two years before its actual launch. Even before the Game Awards reveal, CD Projekt Red stated that The Witcher 4 had entered into the production phase of development.

Considering how long the production of games takes in the modern day and age and the switch from REDngine to Unreal, we might not even get a gameplay trailer until 2025.

With that said, do you think CD Projekt Red should’ve allowed us to change Roach in The Witcher 3? Let us know in the comments below.