Doug Cockle had a feeling the studio had something up its sleeve, but even he did not know in advance that Songs of the Past, a new expansion for The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, was behind it.

Doug Cockle, the English voice of Geralt, had suspected for some time that CD Projekt RED was hiding something related to The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. The actor, who brought Geralt of Rivia to life in the video games, had heard the rumors about new content, but despite being one of the most recognizable voices connected to the fantasy RPG, he was not given any early internal warning about the existence of Songs of the Past. When the expansion was officially announced, he discovered it at the same time as most players.

In an interview, Cockle said he “had a feeling” that the Polish studio was working on something, but no concrete details were shared with him. Based on what he knew, he could easily have imagined a smaller side project, perhaps something along the lines of Thronebreaker: The Witcher Tales, the spin-off tied more closely to the Gwent experience. Instead, he was genuinely thrilled to learn that the announcement was not a minor detour, but a new expansion for The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt.

The Actor Does Not Know More Than the Fans

According to Cockle, one of the most exciting parts is that Songs of the Past may act as a kind of bridge between The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, its earlier expansions, and the upcoming The Witcher 4. He cannot say much about the details, though, because he claims not to know them. “I know as much as you do, based on the press releases CD Projekt has published” he said. “I don’t know anything beyond that. I’m excited to find out.” That immediately raises the obvious question of whether he will return as Geralt in the expansion, since common sense makes it difficult to imagine a major The Witcher 3 expansion without him.

The actor was careful at that point. When asked whether he had already started recording for Songs of the Past, he answered only: “No, but if I had, I wouldn’t tell you.” That is hardly surprising, since actors working on projects like this are bound by strict confidentiality agreements, and even a small slip could create bigger problems for CD Projekt RED. So Cockle may truly know nothing, or he may simply be unable to say anything. In Geralt’s world, both versions sound perfectly believable.

There Is No Firm Answer on The Witcher Remake Either

The interview also touched on the remake of the first The Witcher, which CD Projekt RED previously announced, but Cockle said the studio has not yet contacted him about reprising his role as Geralt. “Again, it’s one of those things I know as much about as you do” he said. “I hope they hire me to voice Geralt again in the new game.” The actor has voiced Geralt in English since 2007, so it really would be strange if the remake were made without him, but until an official announcement arrives, that remains an open question.

The whole situation is both amusing and very typical of CD Projekt RED’s controlled communication around The Witcher. The studio clearly wants to keep information about its projects tightly managed, even if that means Geralt’s iconic voice actor learns the big news alongside the audience. Cockle does not sound bitter about it, only curious. He is waiting for Songs of the Past much like the fans are, except everyone knows that if Geralt speaks in it, it will be very hard to imagine him with anyone else’s voice.

Source: 3DJuegos