The Witcher 3's Blood and Wine Expansion Originally Had a Different Title
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The Blood and Wine expansion for The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt launched on May 31, 2016, with a new story and region. The developer has revealed that the DLC was originally titled 'Bells of Beauclair' before the name was changed midway through production. The expansion remains one of the game's most significant content additions.
Facts First
- Originally titled 'Bells of Beauclair (BoB)' before being renamed 'Blood and Wine'
- Launched on May 31, 2016, seven months after the Hearts of Stone expansion
- Features a new country (Toussaint), main story, characters, monsters, mechanics, and a player-owned vineyard
- Development on Toussaint began while the main game's story was still being finalized
- Internally referenced by the fairy tale approach name 'Kraina z Bajki'
What Happened
CD Projekt Red (CDPR) has detailed the development history of The Witcher 3's second expansion. The DLC, eventually named Blood and Wine, launched on May 31, 2016. Its development began while the main game's story was still being finalized. The expansion was originally titled 'Bells of Beauclair' internally, a name that was changed to 'Blood and Wine' during the middle of production. Blood and Wine introduced the region of Toussaint, a new main story, characters, and mechanics, including a player-owned vineyard.
Why this Matters to You
For players who enjoyed the expansive world and quests of The Witcher 3, this reveals how CDPR developed one of the game's most beloved regions concurrently with its core narrative. It shows how major downloadable content can be developed in parallel, which could lead to richer post-launch additions for future games. For fans of the game's lore, details like the internal name 'Kraina z Bajki' and specific quest details add depth to the experience you already enjoyed.
What's Next
While this is historical insight into a past release, such transparency about a successful development process may inform how CDPR approaches expansions for its future games. The studio may be likely to share more behind-the-scenes details on other projects as they celebrate anniversaries or milestones.