The Witcher 3 Saved a Horror Game That's Now Extremely Popular

Daniel Knight, developer of the critically acclaimed psychological horror game Phasmophobia, reveals that a quest in CD Projekt Red's The Witcher 3 was responsible for restarting development on the title after the project had been nearly abandoned. Launched in 2020, has since sold over 25 million copies worldwide, making it one of the most successful horror games of all time.

Since launch, Knight's genre-defining co-op horror game has remained in early access, receiving consistent support from developer Kinetic Games. In fact Chronicle, was released in June, reworking multiple core systems.

Serving mainly as a tutorial on using the Yrden sign and Geralt's Witcher senses. The contract asks the Witcher to hunt down a "phantom" haunting a well in an abandoned village near White Orchard. However, the quest giver is unable to give any details about this monster. Geralt reasons that the only way he can fight against this mysterious creature is by first understanding what it is and investigating its origins.

Using his Witcher senses to examine clues, he manages to find out the true nature of the beast (a noonwraith), allowing him to figure out how to exorcise it once and for all. Knight mentions that the investigative element in this quest, piecing together clues to figure out the best course of action, is what allowed him to come up with the hook for Phasmophobia.

Fans hoping for more paranormal investigations with friends can look forward to, which will finally bring the title out of early access. Knight promises that in Horror 2.0, "everything is going to be changing." Details about this update have been kept deliberately vague to avoid spoilers, but it has been confirmed that it will release sometime in 2026.