If you're familiar with The Witcher 3, you no doubt know what happens when you start killing cows – the Chort shows up to make Geralt's life harder. 11 years after launch, a quest designer on the fantasy RPG has explained what went into that decision, and it turns out we only have ourselves to blame.
It's actually a preventive measure, taken after CD Projekt Red noticed we could farm cow hides thanks to a fast respawn rate. "We could have fixed that cow hide farming exploit in few minutes bonbons, just kill the respawn or drop the price of the hides," Paweł Sasko, a quest designer on The Witcher 3, says on Twitter.
"But that's not how we roll," he adds. "Designer's job is to create fun, not delete it. So we added a Chort instead."
Ah yes, the Bovine Defense Force 😌We could have fixed that cow hide farming exploit in few minutes bonbons, just kill the respawn or drop the price of the hides. But that's not how we roll. Designer's job is to create fun, not delete it. So we added a chort instead. Chort hide…June 4, 2026
He adds this to a clip of Geralt driving his sword into unsuspecting cattle, only to be met by one of these ferocious beasts. As the saying goes, eff around and find out – the big bad Witcher himself is taken down in unceremonious fashion.
But let it be known, CD Projekt was technically doing you a favour. "Chort hide is double the price of cow hide, not by a coincidence. We saw you farming, so we raised the stakes," Sasko explains.
You want that gold? Get good. Earn it. Bovine prey is easy. Go for the real prize if you're on the hunt. This has long been a running joke within the community, and CD Projekt embraced the hilarity in suitable fashion.
"Later Bovine Defense Force became a Gwent card (cow leaves the battlefield, Chort arrives)," Sasko says. "And then, we made something special in Hearts of Stone. Taxman Walthemor Mitty shows up at 35K orens and asks Geralt point blank whether he was involved in the wholesale rawhide trade in White Orchard."
Sasko, who's now associate game director on Cyberpunk 2, reveals how this whole episode stems from his own philosophy on game development. "Don't patch the fun out, find a way to escalate it, engage with fun dialog with the players, surprise and delight," he finishes.
