The Slavic cultural code in the transmedia metaverse of The Witcher

The article explores the functioning of the Slavic cultural code in the transmedia universe of The Witcher.The authors examine how elements of Slavic mythology and folklore are represented and transformed across various media platforms: Andrzej Sapkowski's literary works, the video game The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, and the Netflix television series. The study demonstrates that in literature, Slavic myth serves as a polyphonic and symbolically rich foundation that supports intertextuaL play; in the video game, it becomes a fully integrated narrative and gamepiay structure that enhances immersion; and in the series, it is largely reduced to a decorative function, subordinated to genre cliches. Special attention is paid to the adaptation of mythological figures -such as the Noonwraith, Leshy, and Striga-which are reimagined in different forms, from mere references to interactive audiovisual models. Employing semiotic and intertextuai methods, the article analyzes how cultural signs are translated, transformed, and experienced in digital media, arguing that the video game medium provides the most complex and immersive mode of cultural transmission, in which myth reveals its true nature as emotionally charged and action-oriented world interpretation.

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