Sorry I'm late to the discussion.
Well, first of all, seeing Jackie bleed out like that was a shock to me. But then I remembered it isn't the first time CDPR go and kill your darlings.
Remember this guy?
In Witcher 1, on my first playthrough, I really connected to
, his background story, his mission and motivations.
I was shocked in later playthroughs when I realised just how little you see of him in the game. "Just" some cutscenes and conversations. Imagine the impact the character had on me on my first playthrough because I really remembered him, and the big reveal in the
. The feels.
But, that reveal depends on your investigation and choices.
Seeing this trailer I figured the job going bad was the job Dex teased in the 2018 gameplay demo.
It makes sense, kill your darlings and make clean slate for Johnny Silverhand.
However, I do hope that CDPR would make it a player choice just like another old friend of mine.
I don't know how many met the old spymaster in Witcher 3, but in all my playthroughs he will be there. Which is a totally optional choice if you side with another character in Witcher 1.
Also we have
who I could not forgive for killing
and running errands for
like a little a****t.
I know many chose to spare him, but I'm not one of them, even though I considered his story and choices lamentable.
So, to conclude, CDPR can write likeable characters and then kill them off without hesitation.
But, they can also make it a player choice, and I do hope this is the case with Jackie!
EDIT: Also, seeing the deal go bad, this just might be a worst case scenario. I guess it might depend on your investment in quests and characters, just like what you chose to say to
or
Player choice!