Part 5/8:
Hissrich and others involved attempted to justify these changes, claiming that the new Geralt’s emotional depth and humor were meant to serve the narrative—yet many critics viewed these explanations as dismissive of the source material. Comments arose accusing the creators of imposing their personal interpretations over established lore, effectively disregarding what made Geralt and the series beloved.
In interviews, Hissrich defended the new direction by framing it as a creative choice: "No one's taking the books or games away. This is just our version." This statement only intensified the sense that the series was intentionally deviating from what fans cherished, creating an identity crisis for the franchise.