When The Witcher 3 Released (& How It Changed After Launch)

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt has largely been hailed as one of the most successful open-world fantasy games, and is still receiving new players and attention thanks to its hundreds of hours of activities (and the success of the series’ recent Netflix show). The Witcher game series was largely responsible for giving CD Projekt Red its favorable reputation and since its release, The Witcher 3 and its predecessors have inspired several spinoff games and received many sizable updates.

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt was initially released in May of 2015, but has received regular updates and additions from its development team as the years have passed. From the outset, The Witcher 3 received rave reviews and excitement from an already dedicated fanbase. The size of the game, positive reception, and the massive improvement from previous titles in the series all worked toward securing The Witcher 3 as one of the most successful titles of the past decade.

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt’s biggest improvements consisted of several sizable expansion packs that added dozens of hours of content. The first DLC was Hearts of Stone, which had ten additional hours of story content and introduced players to the new No Man’s Land and Oxenfurt areas. Geralt was tasked with completing a contract from a mysterious character known as the Invisible Man and sent to kill Olgierd von Everec, an immortal bandit lord. This expansion also introduced the Runeword mechanic, which diversified gameplay and combat strategies with new abilities. Blood and Wine was a larger DLC that included many side quests, a new main storyline, and the new Toussaint area to explore. Players were able to obtain a vineyard as a home and were given the chance to obtain many new Gwent cards. The primary quest of the Witcher 3: Blood and Wine focused on Geralt trailing a monster’s systematic killings across Toussaint, trying to anticipate which innocent would die next.

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Normalized Free DLC With Exciting Updates

In addition to Hearts of Stone and Blood and Wine, The Witcher 3 received sixteen free DLCs that added new, highly requested features to the already successful title. Cosmetic updates – including new outfits, armor, and weapons for Geralt – were just some of the new items that players could obtain within these free expansions. New Game Plus (NG+) was also introduced into the Witcher 3 after its initial launch, allowing players to replay content with their skills and arsenals against more powerful enemies. These updates kept interest in the franchise’s latest installment alive and well throughout the years, enabling its continued popularity to secure a Nintendo Switch version in 2019.

Despite being six years old, Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is still receiving updates. The game will also be re-releasing on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S consoles, and feature more content for next-gen players to experience. DLC inspired by the recent Netflix series and content developed by modders will be featured in the final release, allowing the game to venture into unexplored territory. New-gen console owners interested in The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt can expect its release in the second half of 2021, as promised by CD Projekt Red.

While the gaming industry is full of open-world games lately, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt has been able to stand out and maintain a significant presence against newer open-world titles. Despite the fact that there is still no news on a potential Witcher 4 release, fans of the franchise will still be able to enjoy a masterpiece of RPG fantasy, exploration, and combat.

About The Author

Natalie Lindner
(504 Articles Published)

Natalie Lindner is a Game Features Writer for Screen Rant, creating content on the past, present, and future of games in the industry. Prior to this, she worked out of a writing consultancy in Rhode Island from 2018 to 2021, where she helped college students improve their writing abilities. Natalie has contributed her video game writing to several smaller websites and projects since 2018 and is eager to continue that journey with Screen Rant.

Working out of New Hampshire, Natalie spends the time she isn’t writing about games outside; hiking or biking. On those rainy days, she can be found striving for action on the latest FPS or perusing the latest comic books.

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