Witcher 3 designer says it wasn’t easy to convince players its NPC simulation wasn’t ‘just fakery’: ‘People nowadays are interested in those kinds of details, and it really came to haunt us’

The Witcher 3’s NPC simulation system has been a subject of both praise and skepticism from players questioning whether the detailed behavior is “just fakery.” According to CD Projekt Red’s quest designer Philipp Weber, convincing players that the NPC simulation is genuine was surprisingly challenging.

The challenge stems from modern gaming expectations. Players are increasingly interested in realistic NPC behavior and interactions, making any glitches or unnatural movements immediately noticeable and shareable on social media. CDPR had to balance the level of detail with what players actually observe—if the illusion breaks (bustling towns suddenly feel empty, NPCs behave impossibly), the immersion shatters.

Weber notes that The Witcher 3’s countryside setting, with villages containing only eight houses, actually made the problem more acute. With fewer NPCs to populate the spaces, players had more opportunity to scrutinize individual behavior, making any inconsistencies or bugs immediately apparent. The development team faced issues during testing, such as NPCs “dropping their babies” rather than reacting appropriately to situations—a reminder of how complex realistic NPC behavior simulation can be.

The shift toward realism in modern games has essentially made robust NPC AI systems non-negotiable. Gone are the days when simple dialogue options and basic animations sufficed. Contemporary players expect characters to behave logically and react appropriately to in-game events, pushing developers to invest significantly in behavioral systems that maintain the game world’s believability.

Witcher 3 designer says it wasn’t easy to convince players its NPC simulation wasn’t ‘just fakery’: ‘People nowadays are interested in those kinds of details, and it really came to haunt us’

Sources