"We paid too little attention to him": CDPR promises that "Ballads of the Past" will be a story of Geralt and Dandelion's friendship

CD Projekt RED has shared fresh information about the upcoming "Ballads of the Past" expansion for The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt in the November issue of PC Gamer. The studio says the add-on centers on the relationship between Geralt and Dandelion, presenting it as a story of strong male friendship.

CD Projekt co-head Adam Badowski said the team chose to focus the project on Geralt and Dandelion after recognizing that previous entries had not given adequate attention to their bond. Badowski added that the developers felt the time had come to reveal the full depth and richness of that relationship.

Lead writer Paula Meissner said the writers want to overturn the familiar stereotype of Dandelion as merely a comic bard who repeatedly gets into trouble and needs rescuing. The creative team plans to portray Dandelion as a more complex figure with facets players have not yet seen. Meissner also suggested that the heroes’ differences are a key reason for their closeness: each sees in the other qualities they struggle with themselves, and in that way they complement one another.

Another lead writer, Aleksandra Motyka, pointed out that Dandelion is one of the few people who truly understands Geralt, making it compelling to explore how the witcher might change if he were to lose his friend or face a threat that could alter or end their friendship.

CD Projekt additionally explained why the pair travel to Letten, Dandelion’s homeland: the bard was forced to return home because of personal circumstances that affected him deeply, and he now very much needs a friend.