The Witcher 3’s next expansion, Songs of the Past, has a lead writer with a deep personal connection to the series. Paula Mejsner, the expansion’s writer, wrote her bachelor’s thesis on Hearts of Stone almost a decade ago — and she did it to prove to her professors that video games are worthy of academic study.
The thesis, titled “Videogames as a way of experiencing literature: Analysis of the ‘Hearts of Stone,’ a DLC to ‘The Witcher 3: The Wild Hunt,'” was completed in 2017. Mejsner approached it as a comparative literature project, using Hearts of Stone as a lens to explore how games engage with literary traditions.
A Thesis Written to Prove Games Are Worth It
Mejsner’s thesis focused on how The Witcher draws on classic Polish literature. She examined characters and themes tied to works like The Wedding from Wyspiański, and the devilish figure of Gaunter O’Dimm, whom she described as drawing on “many, many other pieces of culture.”
“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,” Mejsner said.
The thesis touched on what she called “how rich The Witcher is, when it comes to literary references.” Her argument was simple: games can hold the same kind of cultural weight as novels, plays and poems.
From Thesis to Expansion
Fast forward to today, and Mejsner is writing Songs of the Past. The role puts her back in familiar territory — but this time, she is shaping the story herself rather than studying it from the outside.
“When I sat down to chat with her about her work on Songs of the Past, I had to do something that I’d never forgive someone else for doing to me: I asked her about it,” the interviewer noted.
Mejsner’s response was humble and joyful. “To be honest, I’m pretty proud with myself, that I did manage [to work on The Witcher],” she said. “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.”
Luck and Dreaming
Mejsner acknowledged that chance played a role in her career path. But the core of her story is straightforward: she fell in love with The Witcher through its literary references, wrote a thesis arguing why games matter, and ended up working on the franchise anyway.
The thesis was her way of making the case for games as a legitimate form of artistic expression. Now she gets to put that argument into practice, crafting quests and dialogue for a new expansion.
The Literary References Inside Hearts of Stone
Mejsner’s thesis focused on specific literary touchstones within Hearts of Stone. She pointed to The Wedding from Wyspiański and to Gaunter O’Dimm, a devilish character she described as drawing on many other cultural sources.
These references are not just nods. They shape the world of Hearts of Stone.
Why This Matters for Players
Mejsner’s background shows a commitment to the craft of storytelling in games. Someone who spent years studying how games engage with literature is likely to approach writing for them with a particular care for narrative texture.
Her thesis work suggests she pays attention to the cultural resonances that make a game feel lived-in. Those instincts are likely to show up in Songs of the Past.
A Career Built on Love
Mejsner’s journey from student to professional writer is a story about dedication. She saw something she loved, made a case for why it mattered, and kept pursuing it until she could contribute to it directly.
That persistence paid off. The woman who wrote a thesis to prove games were worthy now gets to write them herself.
Key Facts Box
- Thesis: “Videogames as a way of experiencing literature: Analysis of the ‘Hearts of Stone,’ a DLC to ‘The Witcher 3: The Wild Hunt'”
- Year completed: 2017
- Expansion: Songs of the Past
- Previous work: Hearts of Stone
Comparison Table
| Thesis (2017) | Songs of the Past | |
|---|---|---|
| Role | Comparative literature analysis | Lead writer |
| Focus | Hearts of Stone DLC | New expansion content |
| Goal | Prove games are worthy of study | Craft a new chapter in the story |
| Outcome | Academic paper | In-development expansion |
Mejsner’s thesis was a statement of intent. Songs of the Past is the fulfillment of it.
The Witcher 3’s new expansion is in safe hands — and its lead writer proved it almost a decade ago. Mejsner’s path from student to professional writer shows that persistence pays off.
What remains to be seen is how Songs of the Past will measure up against the standard set by Hearts of Stone. Mejsner’s thesis showed she understood the game’s literary depth; now she gets to build on it.
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