The Witcher 3's Blood and Wine expansion nearly had a different name. CD Projekt's Pawel Sasko confirmed recently that the 2016 expansion was originally called Bells of Beauclair, known internally as BoB.
The developers later opted for the more "captivating title" of Blood and Wine. In the developer's eyes, this name captured "the spirit of the narrative" quite well and it was "easier to spell out and articulate."
Sasko was reminiscing on Blood and Wine for its 10th anniversary, as the expansion originally released on May 31, 2016. He said the development timeline was "pretty hardcore," with the team putting together "a completely new country, main story, characters, monsters, mechanics, player's vineyard, and a narrative worthy of closing Geralt's journey."
Sasko went on to say that the "ferocity" around Blood and Wine "still floors me" some 10 years after the expansion was originally released.
"You surpassed any expectation we had about The Witcher 3's longevity. To everyone who worked on BoB: You built something that may outlive all of us. I am proud of you, I am proud of what we made," he said. "And to everyone who played it, thank you for keeping Toussaint alive."
Blood and Wine was The Witcher 3's second and presumed to be final expansion, following Hearts of Stone. However, in May 2026, CD Projekt announced a third expansion, Songs of the Past. It's set for release in 2027 and acts as a prologue of sorts to The Witcher 4.
After The Witcher 3, CD Projekt Red made Cyberpunk 2077, and it was also a smashing success after overcoming initial struggles. Its own expansion, Phantom Liberty, was released in 2023.
Now, CD Projekt Red is making The Witcher 4, 5, and 6, but those games are not likely to get any expansions, according to CD Projekt Red.
