Today I learned the real reason why Geralt calls all of his horses Roach
The long-standing mystery of why Geralt names every horse he rides “Roach” in The Witcher series has finally been explained. For years, fans of the franchise have speculated about this seemingly odd naming convention, with theories ranging from the practical to the absurd. The answer, it turns out, has nothing to do with bugs despite popular speculation.
According to the discovery, the explanation lies in “Crossroads of Ravens,” the most recent novel in The Witcher book series. Originally published in Polish in 2024, the novel was translated into English late last year, making the reasoning accessible to English-speaking fans for the first time. PC Gamer’s Jody Macgregor reviewed the novel and uncovered the explanation within its pages.
This revelation highlights how The Witcher’s expanded universe continues to provide context and depth to details established in the video games. For players of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt and fans of the broader franchise, the resolution of this long-standing fan mystery demonstrates the interconnected nature of the game and book narratives. The discovery also emphasizes the value of the recent English translations of the Witcher novels in allowing the global fanbase to access lore details that had previously remained limited to Polish-speaking audiences.