Mod restores darker Shani ending cut from Hearts of Stone

Brothers in Arms is a mod for The Witcher 3 that combines bug fixes with restoration of cut content. It’s frequently updated—previously it restored a number of dialogue scenes, including a Yennefer romance moment—and the latest patch, version 3.1.0, notes: "Restored a completely new plotline - Shani's fate during Hearts of Stone expansion.

Features a new ending for the expansion (optional)." The restored scenes use dialogue found in the game files, which suggests the plotline was cut late in development, while the rest of the material was built from scratch. It integrates well, with camera angles, animations and lip-sync that match the rest of the game.

The writer says they are not particularly fussed the storyline was cut; the restored conclusion, in which your local version of Lucifer kills Shani with lightning, feels unsubtle and can be countered because the specific threat, "there will be no place under the sun where she will be safe," does not extend to the cellar—though it may include other indoor areas of her house.