Your complete Witcher 3 wiki and guide hub covering every system, expansion, platform, and version of CD Projekt Red’s landmark open world RPG, now updated for The Witcher 3 Remastered.
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is a role playing game developed and published by CD Projekt Red, released on May 19, 2015. It is the third installment in the Witcher series and the final chapter of Geralt of Rivia’s story as a professional monster slayer navigating a war-torn fantasy world overrun by the Wild Hunt. Since its original release, the game has won over 250 Game of the Year awards, been updated for next gen hardware, adapted into a hit tv series on Netflix, and re-released in Remastered form in September 2026. It remains one of the highest-rated games ever made.
The Witcher 3 Wiki Summary
This wiki covers the complete Witcher 3 Wild Hunt experience across every version and platform, from the base game and both major expansions to the next gen update and the 2026 Remastered. Whether you are playing on PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, or Nintendo Switch/Switch 2, or starting a new game for the first time, this is your starting point for every guide on the site.
Quick Summary: The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is an open world action role playing game in which you play as Geralt of Rivia, a monster slayer for hire tracking down his adopted daughter Ciri across the Northern Realms and beyond. The complete edition includes the base game, both expansion packs Hearts of Stone and Blood and Wine, and all 16 pieces of free downloadable content. The 2026 Remastered includes everything in the complete edition and is a free upgrade for existing owners.
What Is The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt?
The Witcher 3 Wild Hunt is a massive open world game set in a dark fantasy world called the Continent, a land fractured by war between the Nilfgaardian Empire and the Northern Realms. You play as Geralt of Rivia, the White Wolf, a professional monster slayer whose skills, silver sword, and steel sword make him one of the deadliest fighters in the world. The game’s main story sends you searching for Ciri, your adopted daughter and the Child of Prophecy, while the spectral army known as the Wild Hunt closes in from all directions.
The Witcher 3 Wild Hunt built on the previous games in the series by replacing the smaller, more linear environments of those titles with a fully explorable open world spanning multiple distinct regions. Where the previous games confined Geralt to a single city or area at a time, the Witcher 3 lets you ride Roach across Velen’s marshes, sail the islands of Skellige, wander the streets of Novigrad, and eventually explore the sun-drenched vineyards of Toussaint in the Blood and Wine expansion.
Combat mechanics in the Witcher 3 Wild Hunt use a blend of fast attacks, strong attacks, dodge and roll, five magical Signs, potions, bombs, and crossbow fire. Geralt uses two swords in combat: the steel sword for humans and beasts and the silver sword for monsters and supernatural creatures. The protective shield of the Quen Sign, the fire of Igni, and the telekinetic force of Aard are just a few of the tools available to you in every fight. Witcher senses let Geralt detect enemies, track scents, and investigate crime scenes in a way that gives the world extra depth beyond riding Roach and swinging swords.
CD Projekt Red announced the Witcher 3 in February 2013 at a Witcher event in Warsaw, with a release date originally scheduled for late 2014 before being pushed to May 2015 following two delays. When it launched, the game received near-universal critical acclaim and rapidly became one of the benchmarks against which other open world role playing games are measured.
Platforms and Editions
Original Release Platforms
The Witcher 3 Wild Hunt launched on PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One on May 19, 2015. The Nintendo Switch complete edition arrived on October 15, 2019, bringing the full game including both expansion packs to a handheld platform for the first time, a significant technical achievement given the hardware gap.
Next Gen Update (2022)
CD Projekt Red announced the next gen update in 2020 and it was originally scheduled for 2021 before being delayed. CDPR announced the final release date of December 14, 2022 after a period of uncertainty that saw the project handed to Fool’s Theory, an external studio with several CD Projekt veterans on staff, to complete alongside the internal team.
The next gen update brought the Witcher 3 to PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X and S as a free upgrade for existing owners on those platforms. It introduced ray tracing, faster loading times, improved textures, an over-the-shoulder camera option, cross-platform progression, an expanded photo mode, a Netflix-inspired DLC set with new weapons and alternate character looks, and various quality-of-life improvements to combat and quest tracking. PC players received the same update simultaneously. Existing owners received the next gen update as a free upgrade on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series.
Complete Edition
The complete edition of the Witcher 3 Wild Hunt bundles the base game with both expansion packs and all 16 pieces of free downloadable content. Originally released as the Game of the Year edition in 2016, it was renamed the complete edition for the next gen update and remains the recommended way to purchase the game for any new player. The complete edition covers more than 150 hours of gameplay across the main story, two major expansions, side quests, witcher contracts, and treasure hunts scattered across the game world.
The complete edition is available digitally on all current platforms. A physical edition for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series was released on January 26, 2023, bringing the next gen version of the game to retail shelves for the first time. For Nintendo Switch, the complete edition has been available since the 2019 launch and includes both expansion packs on cartridge.
The Witcher 3 Remastered (2026)
The Witcher 3 Remastered launched September 29, 2026 as the most comprehensive update to the game since its original release. CD Projekt Red announced it at Gamescom in August 2026. The Remastered overhauls combat mechanics, rebuilds the skill tree with interlocking branches and new perks, adds transmog, reworks traversal and Roach handling, revises the looting and quest tracking systems, and rebuilds the rendering pipeline including path tracing on PC. All existing owners on qualifying platforms receive it as a free upgrade.
The Remastered also launched on Nintendo Switch 2 and on Battle.net for the first time through a new partnership with Blizzard. Nintendo Switch 2 owners who previously owned the complete edition on the original Switch receive the Switch 2 Remastered version as a free upgrade. The Remastered adds cross-platform mod support for consoles, bringing user-created content to Xbox Series and Nintendo Switch 2 for the first time.
The Main Story
The Witcher 3 Wild Hunt’s main story follows Geralt of Rivia as he searches for Ciri, his adopted daughter, across the Continent. Ciri is being hunted by the Wild Hunt, an army of spectral riders from another world who want to use her Elder Blood powers as a weapon. The main quest sends Geralt through Velen, Novigrad, and Skellige while he uncovers the truth about Ciri’s whereabouts and the forces converging on her.
The main story branches at several key points based on choices made during completing quests throughout the campaign. The ending Geralt and Ciri reach depends on decisions made during specific main quest moments, and the game tracks these choices invisibly rather than presenting explicit moral selections. Multiple different main story endings are possible, with Ciri’s fate determined by whether Geralt supports her confidence and independence or inadvertently undermines it.
Alongside the main quest, the game world contains hundreds of side quests, witcher contracts for hunting specific monsters, and treasure hunts that lead Geralt to witcher gear sets scattered across the Northern Realms. Many quests involve Geralt’s relationships with certain characters from the previous games, including Triss Merigold and Yennefer of Vengerberg, and both romances are resolved in the Witcher 3.
Expansions
The Witcher 3 Wild Hunt has two major expansions, both of which are included in the complete edition and in every version of the game sold after 2026.
Hearts of Stone
Hearts of Stone is the first of the two major expansions, adding roughly 10 hours of new content set primarily in the No Man’s Land region of Velen and in the city of Oxenfurt. It introduces Olgierd von Everec, a man cursed with immortality, and Gaunter O’Dimm, one of the most memorable new characters added to the Witcher series. Hearts of Stone can be played at any point in the main story and introduces new quests, new characters, new gear, and a card game called Gwent as a featured activity. It was released in October 2015 and was previously sold as downloadable content purchased separately from the base game.
Blood and Wine
Blood and Wine is the final expansion for the Witcher 3, adding roughly 40 hours of content set in Toussaint, an entirely new region not accessible in the base game. It is the largest of the two expansions by a significant margin and introduces a new main story, new witcher contracts, new side quests, new characters, new gear sets, a player home called Corvo Bianco, and a new mutation system that expands character progression beyond what the base game offers. Blood and Wine released in May 2016 and was also previously purchased separately. The wine released as part of Toussaint’s setting remains one of the most praised pieces of environmental world-building in the game. Following CD Projekt Red’s decision in 2026 to include all content with the base game, Blood and Wine is now included with every copy at no additional cost.
Songs of the Past
Songs of the Past is the third expansion for The Witcher 3 Wild Hunt, announced by CD Projekt Red on May 27, 2026 and launching in 2027 on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X and S, Nintendo Switch 2, and PC. It is the first major narrative expansion since Blood and Wine released in 2016, an eleven-year gap between new story content for the Witcher 3. The expansion is also available to purchase on Battle.net through CD Projekt Red’s new publishing partnership with Blizzard Entertainment.
Songs of the Past is co-developed with Fool’s Theory, the same external studio that assisted CD Projekt Red with the next gen update and that also developed The Thaumaturge. The Fool’s Theory team includes veterans who worked on the original Witcher 2 and Witcher 3 at CD Projekt, making them a natural fit for returning to the Witcher 3’s systems and world.
Geralt of Rivia returns as the playable protagonist. The expansion sends him to Letten, the homeland of Dandelion, after Dandelion disappears and pulls Geralt into the history of the de Lettenhove family and a dark curse surrounding one of Dandelion’s ancestors. Letten is described as roughly the size of Blood and Wine’s Toussaint, with denser settlements, more detailed NPC routines, and dozens of new quests and points of interest in a region described as idyllic on the surface with a dark secret lurking beneath it.
Confirmed new content includes new quests, new monsters such as Swarmions and the Slumbering Knight, a new silver chain weapon for Geralt designed for crowd control against armored enemies, a new romance option in Lilla (Dandelion’s cousin), and all improvements from the Witcher 3 Remastered carrying over into the expansion. CD Projekt Red confirmed at Gamescom 2026 that Geralt has new romance content and showed roughly 15 minutes of gameplay including an early main quest called A Bed of Thorns.
Songs of the Past is a paid expansion and is not included in any existing version of the complete edition. It is available to wishlist now on all supported platforms. No specific release date within 2027 has been confirmed, and no pricing has been announced for any region.
Free DLC and Additional Content
The Witcher 3 Wild Hunt launched alongside a commitment from CD Projekt Red to release 16 pieces of free DLC to all players regardless of platform. These range from cosmetic items like alternate looks for Yennefer and Triss to new side quests, new witcher gear, additional Gwent card sets, and expanded hairstyle options. All 16 free DLC packs are included in every version of the game available today, requiring no additional purchase.
The next gen update added a second wave of free content inspired by Netflix’s The Witcher tv series, including new weapons, armor, and alternate character outfits for Geralt and select companions.
Gwent: The Witcher Card Game
Gwent is a legendary card game played across the Continent that Geralt encounters through side quests and NPC interactions throughout the Witcher 3. Collecting Gwent cards becomes an optional pursuit alongside the main quest, with players finding cards as loot, purchasing them from merchants, and winning unique cards by defeating specific opponents. The Witcher 3 implementation of Gwent eventually grew into a standalone free-to-play game developed by CD Projekt, released separately on PC and consoles as its own product with a competitive scene and ongoing content updates.
Crafting and Economy
The Witcher 3’s economy revolves around crafting components gathered from enemies, plants, and containers throughout the game world. Geralt can sell items to merchants and dwarven smiths across the Northern Realms, purchase crafting materials and consumables, and commission armor and weapons from craftsmen. Witcher gear sets, the most powerful equipment in the game, require specific diagrams found during treasure hunts and crafting components gathered from monster hunts and exploration.
The game does not restrict selling items beyond weight and coin availability. Geralt can sell items from his inventory at any merchant, with some vendors specializing in specific goods and offering better prices for relevant categories.
System Requirements and Technical Information
PC Minimum Requirements
The original 2015 minimum specification called for an Intel Core i5-2500K, 6GB RAM, and an Nvidia GPU GeForce GTX 660 or AMD Radeon equivalent. The AMD CPU minimum was equivalent to the Intel i5-2500K. The Nvidia GeForce GTX 660 and its AMD counterpart were the baseline for running the game at 1080p on low settings.
The Remastered raised these requirements significantly. The current minimum calls for an Nvidia GeForce GTX 1060 or AMD Radeon RX 5500 XT, reflecting a decade of graphical updates. Path tracing on PC requires substantially more powerful hardware, with Nvidia GPU GeForce GTX equivalents no longer sufficient for that specific feature. CD Projekt Red has published updated AMD Radeon and Nvidia GPU GeForce GTX requirements for the Remastered specifically to cover the full range from minimum to path tracing settings.
Console Performance
On PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X, the Witcher 3 Remastered runs in Performance Mode at 4K resolution targeting 60 fps, or in Ray Tracing Mode at 4K targeting 30 fps with ray tracing enabled. Xbox Series S runs at 1440p in Performance Mode and 1080p in Ray Tracing Mode. Nintendo Switch 2 runs at 720p in Handheld Mode with VRR up to approximately 40 fps, and 1080p docked at similar frame rates.
Awards and Cultural Impact
The Witcher 3 Wild Hunt won over 250 individual Game of the Year awards following its 2015 release, including the Game Award for Game of the Year at The Game Awards 2015 and equivalent year awards from numerous publications and organizations. At the time it represented the most critically acclaimed game of its generation and set a standard for open world role playing game design that subsequent games continued to reference.
The popularity of the Witcher 3 contributed directly to the broader cultural visibility of the Witcher series, which CD Projekt Red created as an adaptation of Andrzej Sapkowski’s original Polish fantasy novels. Netflix launched a Witcher tv series in 2019 with Henry Cavill as Geralt, which ran for three seasons before recasting the lead role and continuing production. The tv series brought a new generation of players to the game, contributing to renewed sales activity and influencing the content added in the 2022 next gen update. A Witcher anime film, Nightmare of the Wolf, was also produced as a companion piece to the tv series.
A board game based on the Witcher universe, developed by Go On Board, was funded through Kickstarter and released commercially. The board game captures the monster hunting and card-driven decision-making of the video game series in a tabletop format and remains one of the better-known adaptations of the property outside of the digital games.
Combat and Skills
The combat system in the Witcher 3 Wild Hunt rewards preparation and understanding of enemy weaknesses as much as mechanical skill. Geralt’s five Signs each serve a specific combat function, from the protective shield of Quen to the crowd control of Aard. The skill tree spans four branches covering combat, signs, alchemy, and general skills, and the choices you make as you level determine whether Geralt plays as a sword-focused fighter, a Sign-heavy mage, an alchemy specialist, or a hybrid of several approaches.
Exploration and Quests
The game world of the Witcher 3 contains hundreds of points of interest, from abandoned sites guarded by monsters to hidden treasures and unmarked locations that reward thorough exploration. Many quests begin not from a notice board or NPC but from discovering something in the open world while riding Roach or moving between objectives. Witcher contracts offer structured monster hunts with clear rewards, while the game’s side quests frequently tell stories as narratively complex as the main quest itself.
Equipment and Gear
Witcher gear sets are the strongest equipment in the game and each requires a series of treasure hunts across the open world to collect the diagrams and crafting components necessary to build them. The Griffin School set favors Sign builds, the Wolf School set offers balanced bonuses for combat and signs, and the Bear and Cat School sets favor heavy tank and fast attack approaches respectively. Each set can be upgraded through several tiers as Geralt levels, requiring new diagrams and more advanced crafting components at each tier.
The Final Word
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt remains one of the most complete and rewarding role playing games ever made, and the 2026 Remastered represents the most polished and feature-complete version of the experience to date. If you are starting a new game for the first time, the complete edition with both expansion packs and all free content is the recommended starting point on any platform. If you are a returning player on a qualifying platform, the Remastered is a free upgrade that adds meaningful gameplay improvements on top of the visual overhaul delivered by the 2022 next gen update. Use the guides on this site to get the most out of every system, every quest, and every build the game offers.
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt FAQ
1. What is included in the complete edition of The Witcher 3?
The complete edition includes the base game, both expansion packs (Hearts of Stone and Blood and Wine), and all 16 pieces of free downloadable content released for the game. It represents more than 150 hours of content across the main story, major expansions, side quests, witcher contracts, and treasure hunts.
2. Is The Witcher 3 Remastered a free upgrade?
Yes, for existing owners on PC (Steam, GOG, Epic), PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series. The Remastered is also free for Nintendo Switch 2 owners who previously owned the complete edition on the original Nintendo Switch. New buyers pay the standard retail price.
3. What expansions does The Witcher 3 have?
The Witcher 3 has two major expansions included with the complete edition, Hearts of Stone and Blood and Wine, plus a third expansion Songs of the Past arriving in 2027 as a separate paid purchase. Hearts of Stone adds roughly 10 hours of content focused on Olgierd von Everec and Gaunter O’Dimm. Blood and Wine adds roughly 40 hours set in Toussaint and introduces a mutation system, a player home, and a full new main story. Songs of the Past is set in the new region of Letten and co-developed with Fool’s Theory.
4. What platforms is The Witcher 3 available on?
The Witcher 3 Wild Hunt is available on PC (Steam, GOG, Epic, Battle.net), PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X and S, and Nintendo Switch 2. Previous generation versions on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and the original Nintendo Switch remain available but are no longer updated.
5. How long is The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt?
The main story takes approximately 50 hours to complete. The complete edition with both expansion packs and a substantial portion of side content runs well over 150 hours for thorough players. Blood and Wine alone adds roughly 40 hours, and Hearts of Stone adds approximately 10 hours on top of that.
6. Does The Witcher 3 have a board game adaptation?
Yes. A board game based on the Witcher universe was developed by Go On Board, funded through Kickstarter, and released commercially. It captures the monster hunting and decision-making of the video game series in a tabletop format.
7. What is Songs of the Past?
Songs of the Past is the third expansion for The Witcher 3 Wild Hunt, announced May 27, 2026 and releasing in 2027 on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X and S, Nintendo Switch 2, and PC. It sends Geralt to Letten, Dandelion’s homeland, for a new story involving the de Lettenhove family and a dark regional curse. It is a paid expansion co-developed with Fool’s Theory and is not included in the complete edition.
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The Witcher 3 Remastered New Skill Trees Guide
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The Witcher 3 Remastered Patch Notes (2026 Update)
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The Witcher 3 Remastered Signs and Upgrades Guide for 2026
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