Why Witcher Fans Think Season 3 Is About To Be Confirmed

Toss a coin to Netflix, because it looks like the streamer has already renewed The Witcher for season 3. Fans of the fantasy series are buzzing about a potential early renewal thanks to the show's official Writers Guild of America page being updated to include a third season. At the moment, the only writer listed is showrunner Lauren Schmidt Hissrich, but that's enough of a tease to get the rumor mill turning.

Just to clarify, Netflix hasn't made any official announcement about the show's fate beyond season 2, so don't get too excited just yet. However, seeing the WGA page add a season 3 seems like a good indication that Geralt of Rivia's (Henry Cavill) story won't be ending anytime soon. For now, production on season 2 of The Witcher is officially underway after being paused due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which means the new season will premiere sometime in 2021. If a season 3 does happen, fans can likely expect it to arrive on Netflix as early as 2022. 

The best part is, if a third season of The Witcher has been ordered, Netflix will likely make a formal announcement before season 2 premieres. After all, the streamer revealed the show's season 2 renewal well before the first season's premiere. As viewers await a ballad from Jaskier (Joey Batey) confirming the potential good news, let's take a look at what's ahead on season 2 — and beyond.

Season 1 of The Witcher ends right as Geralt faces his destiny and unites with Ciri. From here, the story will become more unified, as it focuses on their alliance, and Ciri's training. Season 2's direction is reflected in Netflix's casting announcements, which include Geralt's witcher pals: Eskel (Basil Eidenbenz), Lambert (Paul Bullion), Coen (Yasen Atour), and elder witcher Vesemir (Kim Bodnia).

In Andrzej Sapkowski's first Witcher novel, Blood of Elves, Geralt's old friends join him at Kaer Morhen to teach Ciri how to use her powers. However, fans should also expect the show to explore what happens right after Ciri and Geralt meet. In an interview with TV Guide, Hissrich explained: "Well, what's really fun about Season 2 is that in the books, [after] Geralt and Ciri meet in that moment in Sodden ... when we come back in the next book, we've actually skipped a lot of time," she explained. "Well, we found in writing the show that we didn't actually want to skip over those first months of them getting to know each other. That's part of the fun, is to take these characters, as you say, who understand that they're each other's destiny — not really embracing it, but accepting that this is what they need to do to continue walking through The Continent. And then see like, what would that really be like? What would it be like for two strangers to come together and feel like that's what they've been driving for the entire season? They finally got together and then they're like, 'Oh, I don't know you at all. You are a stranger.'"

Hissrich also teased that Ciri won't be impressed by Geralt suddenly telling her what to do.

Despite the fact that Netflix hasn't made an official The Witcher season 3 announcement, Hissrich has mapped out The Witcher far beyond season 2. Even before season 1 premiered she told GamesRadar that she knows where Geralt's story is heading. "Second season? I've done it for seven seasons!" she said of mapping out the show in advance. "Right now it's just about, 'How do you set up stories that really capture audiences for years at a time?' The worst thing we could do is put all of our energies just into season one, and not be thinking about where these characters can grow to."

There's no doubt Hissrich is prepared to keep The Witcher around for a long time to come — now it's up to Netflix to make sure fans get to see all of the stories she has planned for everyone's favorite witcher.