The writer steering CD Projekt Red’s upcoming expansion into The Witcher 3 universe has a connection to the series that runs deeper than most fans could imagine: she wrote her bachelor’s thesis on its first story addition, Hearts of Stone. Paula Mejsner of Fool’s Theory dissected the acclaimed DLC almost a decade ago in an academic paper aimed at proving video games deserve recognition as legitimate cultural texts.
The revelation surfaced during a conversation about the expansion itself, offering fresh insight into why the writing team behind this new chapter appears so deeply steeped in Witcher lore. Mejsner’s 2017 thesis carried a deliberately ambitious title—translated to English as “Videogames as a way of experiencing literature: Analysis of the ‘Hearts of Stone’, a DLC to ‘The Witcher 3: The Wild Hunt’.” It arrived years before she ever took up pen, or keyboard, to contribute to the game professionally.
A Thesis Born from Passion
Mejsner traced her academic interest back to the period when she first played Hearts of Stone alongside the base game while studying comparative literature. That immersion sparked a lasting devotion to the franchise and ultimately shaped both her scholarly work and her career path.
“That was at the time when I played Hearts of Stone, and The Witcher, and I was studying comparative literature. That’s when I fell in love with The Witcher… [the thesis] touches upon what I said when it comes to how rich The Witcher is, when it comes to literary references.”
Paula Mejsner
The paper examined specifically how The Witcher channeled the spirits of classic Polish literature. Mejsner pointed to works like Stanisław Wyspiański’s plays as inspiration for characters such as Gaunter O’Dimm, the enigmatic devilish figure whose design draws upon numerous cultural touchstones spanning generations.
“Proving Games are Worthy”
Beyond literary analysis lay a personal motivation that Mejsner now openly acknowledges. She wrote her thesis partly to convince skeptical academics that interactive media held genuine artistic merit, treating games as texts of culture deserving scholarly attention rather than dismissal.
“I wanted to analyse it, and I did this to probably prove to some of my professors that games are worthy, and they are also texts of culture.”
Paula Mejsner
The full circle moment arrived when she found herself actually writing for the series she had once studied. Asked how her younger self might react to landing the role, Mejsner admitted genuine pride tempered by awareness of fortune’s role in such outcomes.
“To be honest, I’m pretty proud with myself, that I did manage [to work on The Witcher]. But, you know, as always, there’s been a lot of luck in the process. But yeah, it truly is a dream come true, because this is what I dreamt of when I wrote my thesis. It’s pretty awesome to write Geralt.”
Paula Mejsner
The Team Behind the Expansion
Mejsner’s story sheds light on the broader composition of Fool’s Theory, the studio now responsible for this new chapter in The Witcher saga. Her background suggests a team assembled from devoted fans whose intimate knowledge of the franchise runs deep—a quality that resonates strongly with an audience wary of expansions mishandling beloved material.
The expansion builds upon the foundation laid by Hearts of Stone and Blood and Wine, both widely regarded as among the finest DLC offerings in gaming history. Fans have come to expect rich narrative depth, morally complex choices, and memorable characters from these additions, raising expectations considerably for whatever Mejsner and her colleagues deliver.
Looking Ahead
As anticipation continues building around the expansion’s official reveal details, Mejsner’s journey provides reassuring evidence that the project rests in capable hands. The writer who once argued games deserve cultural recognition now gets to shape a piece of that very culture herself—a progression she described as nothing short of a dream realized.
Fans watching closely will be looking for further confirmation of release windows, platform availability, and gameplay specifics as CD Projekt Red continues its rollout strategy. Until then, the story of a comparative literature student who fell so deeply for The Witcher that she wrote her thesis about it—and eventually got paid to do what she loved—serves as both inspiration and promise for what lies ahead.
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