Despite it being set to launch 12 years after the original game, The Witcher 3: Songs of the Past was apparently written well in advance of its reveal.
Speaking to Eurogamer, co-developer Fool's Theory CEO Jakub Rokosz explains that, "The story was conceived, way back when, in CD Projekt Red by Ola Motyka and Philip Weber." But the writer duo – who worked on the Witcher 3 base game – "had to put it aside for various reasons." Rokosz explains that, "stars had to align" for things to finally come to fruition, and Fool's Theory had to grow in size.
