The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is a massive game, and that size ensures that most gamers will never see all the details that it has to offer. However, one clever touch in The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt has been right in front of players for years.
The secret in question is tied to The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt’s Signs. The limited version of magic that is wielded by Geralt and other Witchers, fans make good use of these spells throughout the game. Whether it is Quen, Igni, Aard, or Yrden, each provides Geralt with a necessary boost as he faces off with monsters and men. However, the fifth sign is used in dialogue as well, something that has given players the chance to see it up close. The sign in question is Axii, and Geralt casts this spell in a special way.
The awesome The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt detail was caught by Redditor Iridonia, and it sees the gamer describing why the casting method is so special. Geralt is actually using fingerspelling to cast the ability, with the letters each having a distinct look. A is a closed fist with the thumb held straight up, while X sees the index finger curled. As for the I, Geralt once again closes his fist, this time holding up his pinkie finger. The result is a meaningful way of casting a spell that will likely go unnoticed by most.
Fun fact - When Geralt casts the axii sign in Witcher3, he is actually spelling it out in the international sign language hand alphabet. I'm deaf, and it took me ages to actually notice this. Included a compilation of the letters in sign language. from witcher
Fingerspelling is used often by the deaf community, as it allows those that are hard-of-hearing to spell out names and phrases. While Geralt may not use other methods of sign language in the game, the fact that this is included at all is a nice bit of representation. As pointed out by Iridonia, it is not too surprising that most fans of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt miss this little touch. Despite being deaf themselves, it took them “ages” to realize how Geralt was activating the useful ability.
In the comments, Reddit user Zoeh91 asked how to tell the difference between the final two letters. With both being the same, it is a reasonable question to ask, as there could certainly be some confusion if the same letter is spelled. In regular sign language, people will communicate this by holding the sign for longer and moving their hand a short distance to the right. As confirmed by Iridonia in the comments, this is exactly what Geralt does when he uses Axii. As such, the Witcher protagonist uses sign language correctly the whole way through.
While all of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt’s characters are detailed, Geralt of Rivia is obviously the most complex. With small touches like this one, it is easy to see why CD Projekt Red’s version of the White Wolf is so likable.
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is available now on PC, PS4, Switch, and Xbox One, with PS5 and Xbox Series X/S versions also in development.