There are two things I know about Andrzej Sapkowski: he wrote (and continues to write) the original Witcher novels, and he’s a legendary grump. In fact, if I search our own website for the author’s name, I find stories about him advising young writers to instead learn something “That makes money” like PC repair, saying he “never played” and does “not intend to play” The Witcher games, and other such things that seem like the hallmark of a—honestly, quite charming—grouchy author.
The Witcher 3 at 10
To celebrate its 10th anniversary, all this week we’re looking back on The Witcher 3—and looking ahead to its upcoming sequel, too. Keep checking back for more features and retrospectives, as well as in-depth interviews with the developers who brought the game to life.
But when I sat down for a chat with CDPR co-CEO Adam Badowski, I was told something alarming: Sapkowski might not be quite as curmudgeonly as he puts on.
“He’s a very intelligent guy,” said Badowski, “and as a writer, he created kind of a persona. In person, he’s a great guy. Very knowledgeable.” In fact, Badowski says he hangs out with Sapkowski regularly: “We are friends. I visit Andrzej regularly. We go for dinner, have great conversations.”
But don’t get it twisted—grouch or no, Sapkowski isn’t secretly a huge player of the games. “He was very clear about what is his area, [and] what is just licensed,” said Badowski. “He’s all about the books. That’s it. He doesn’t play games.
“He’s a very smart person, so he knew everything about our game and about its success, but he tried not to comment on it… Those two worlds, in his opinion, should be disconnected.”
Which means we’re probably not due a Sapkowski-penned novelisation of Blood and Wine anytime soon, but on CDPR’s side the devs still hold the books in reverence. “As true fans of the books, we truly take care with the whole lore,” says Badowski. Referencing Sapkowski’s latest Witcher novel—the first in over a decade—he points out that CDPR is going out of its way to make sure whatever it makes coheres with any new lore the author has set down: “We’re updating everything, we are not making different, alternative paths… Everything is coherent. If it comes to responsibility, we feel responsibility for the whole heritage of Andrzej Sapkowski.”
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