Obama Mentions "The Witcher" During Trip to Poland

In 2011, Poland's prime minister Donald Tusk gave United States president Barack Obama a copy of The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings. The US Commander-in-chief has not forgotten that gesture, specifically mentioning The Witcher series this week during an appearance in Poland. Obama said the acclaimed role-playing video game series developed in the country by CD Projekt Red is a "great example" of how Poland contributes to the global economy.

"The last time I was here, Donald (Polish prime minister) gave me a gift, the video game developed here in Poland that's won fans the world over, The Witcher," Obama said during the event, as translated by CD Projekt Red's PR agency. "I confess, I'm not very good at video games, but I've been told that it is a great example of Poland's place in the new global economy. And it's a tribute to the talents and work ethic of the Polish people as well as the wise stewardship of Polish leaders like prime minister Tusk."

You can watch a video of Obama's comments through Polish media outlet TVN24.

The Witcher is arguably the most well-known video game series ever to come out of Poland. Other big-name Polish studios include The Farm 51 (Painkiller), Techland (Dead Island, Dying Light), and Epic Games Poland (Gears of War: Judgment). CD Projekt Red's fantasy Witcher series is based on Polish author Andrzej Sapkowski's novel series of the same name.

Later this week, CD Projekt Red will hold its annual Summer Conference. During this event, the developer is expected to release a new trailer with in-game footage for 2015's The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. We'll have full coverage of the event as it happens.

This is not Obama's first time promoting a video game, even if that was not his express intent. In December 2011 during a holiday shopping trip to Best Buy, Obama purchased copies of Just Dance 3 and The Sims 3. According to Ubisoft, when Obama purchased Just Dance 3 that day, he wasn't just buying a game for his daughters, he was making a statement that the dancing franchise has "universal" appeal.