The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt releases this May and CD Projekt RED has already planned two massive expansion packs for it. These two packs will offer 30+ hours of gameplay in total. The first one – called Hearts of Stone – will be released this October, while the second one – called Blood and Wine – will be coming in 2016.
Marcin Iwinski, CD PROJEKT RED co-founder, said:
“With the development of Wild Hunt coming to an end, the team has embarked upon the creation of two new really big adventures set in The Witcher universe. We remember the time when add-on disks truly expanded games by delivering meaningful content. As gamers, we’d like to bring that back. We’ve said in the past that if we ever decide to release paid content, it will be vast in size and represent real value for the money. Both our expansions offer more hours of gameplay than quite a few standalone games out there.”
Hearts of Stone will take Geralt on an all-new, 10-hour-plus adventure into the wilds of No Man’s Land and the nooks and alleys of Oxenfurt, where he’ll try to complete a contract from the mysterious Man of Glass.
On the other hand, Blood and Wine, a 20-hour-plus tale that will introduce the all-new in-game region of Toussaint, will take Geralt to a land untainted by war, where an atmosphere of carefree indulgence and knightly ritual masks an ancient, bloody secret.
As CD Projekt RED noted, the upcoming expansions will offer gamers new adventures, gear and foes and will feature characters both new and old.
John is the founder and Editor in Chief at DSOGaming. He is a PC gaming fan and highly supports the modding and indie communities. Before creating DSOGaming, John worked on numerous gaming websites. While he is a die-hard PC gamer, his gaming roots can be found on consoles. John loved – and still does – the 16-bit consoles, and considers SNES to be one of the best consoles. Still, the PC platform won him over consoles. That was mainly due to 3DFX and its iconic dedicated 3D accelerator graphics card, Voodoo 2. John has also written a higher degree thesis on the “The Evolution of PC graphics cards.”
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I generally dislike finding out about expansions before a games initial release but after TW2 i have nothing but respect for CDPR so hopefully they wont let us down. Still not going to pre-order it though because that always hurts the industry.
how does it hurt the industry?
Encourages publishers to put in pre-order only content which is extremely hurtful if the game doesnt deliver is just runs like total s**t (ie. unity). In other cases its just annoying when they cut out pieces of the game to give to the people that payed a few days early for a product that their not even sure will work.
what ubisoft did with unity is a total disgrace (I can’t even believe I’ve been to 2 interviews out of 3 there). But they aren’t all like that. And CD Projekt red has always delivered.
I waited a whole 2 yrs for diablo to play out it’s updates and tweaks and of course price drops before I went in to see what all the fuss is about. I still remember the old days when I used to run to the internet cafe just to find some old geezers wasting their time, money and life on Diablo II.
Yes that additional five minute mission or one extra costume in a 20-30 or more hour game is bringing the industry to its f’ing knees. The hyperbole that the neck beard generation spews….boy is society moving forward utterly f’ed.
Kind of strange to announce and sell these so early.
Seriously? I had to install farcry 3, x3 times due to the DLCs.
it is funny someone made a dlc unlocker that works better than uplay.
Huh? First one can’t be bought until October, the other one early next year. Jesus Christ. READING COMPREHENSION ISN’T HARD. These also aren’t something cut out from the already massive main game. They are being worked on after the main game was completed and out the door.
I guess we just have to settle for the SIXTEEN free DLC’s they will be releasing. That doesn’t fit the “WHY IZ DIS KNOT IN DA MAYNE GAYME?!” narrative but oh well.
this game is going to be so good, i will be done with gta 5 when this gets released, with these games releasing and VR headsets coming up at the end of the year, 2015 looks to be a great year for gaming
I’m starting to think the same, that’s why i’ve put $6k aside for now.
gg on having that money, are you including a 4k tv in there or not. I want to turn my current 47″ led into a touch table for the living room and was thinking of getting a vizio 65″ 4k when the next line launches but i’m having doubts if i will do it, i think money is better spent pn getting vr headsets, controllers and a virtux omni
Nu Ovidiu, pur si simplu vreau sa imi cumpar un proiector JVC 4k si imi vand epson T6100w. Plec in San Francisco si nu stiu daca ma mai intorc.
bafta cu plecarea. Proiector e cool dar mie imi place lumina in camera ziua si nu am dat de nici un proiector care sa fie decent la contrast in camera luminata. Asta ma gandeam, daca iei ceva casca VR si ai un ecran decent, parca nu mai ai nevoie de nimic. Dar un proiector 4k oricum suna bine de tot. Pe langa ala mai ai nevoie si de un calc macar sli, zic eu deci bugetul are pe ce sa fie cheltuit. CE parare ai de siteul asta si comentatori, parca acum e mai decent dar inainte era plin plin de copii idioti
Mersi mersi, Sa stii ca m-am documentat destul inainte sa cumpar proiectorul si la 2200 lumens/ansi e destul de decent is cu lumina in camera, Ori and the enchanted forest de exemplu este superb, cu toate culorile. Prietenii imi spun ca are un blacklight superb, si nici macar nu am vopsit peretele cu vopsea cu cristale.
Cat despre setup, am aici doua dell 2k, i7, gtx 980, hackintosh, si in San francisco la fel. Numai ca acolo am pistoane pe gas pentru vesa.
Site-ul l-am descoperit anul trecut, si mi-a convenit ca adminul este Grec.
I’m still clueless regarding the role of Jennifer Lawrence in this game.
Hopefully the expansions will address this.
wtf she even doing there?
A expansion planned before the launch? CPR has truly fallen from grace.
You should keep in mind that they also announced 16 free DLCs after release.
As for these expansions, I don’t mind at all. The game is bigger than Skyrim so expanding it’s content makes sense, even tiny games try to sell weapon packs and costumes to make money so why not this ? and if it’s a 10 or 20 hour expansion then it justify a price tag.
Exactly. Those that cannot see the justification here are likely just haters and never played a cdpr game before.
“A expansion planned before the launch”
Why not? They can’t develop the game 10 years. If they have so much content for us than it is logical that they divided it into base game and expansions. Much SW is divided into few or many releases. This is really not bad if it is meaningful. This is not the case where you paid for armor, skins and other insignificant stuff. They have to have plans for future releases right now. They can’t started think about it just after game release. Their procedure is reasonable and wise.
also downgrades
I thought DSOgaming would stop posting about dlc as it was the cancer of gaming or something like that…?
Owned. I actually voted no on that pool.
They sound like real expansions, the kind PC games used to have. Not little 1-hour DLC’s.
Not even 1 hour man, just armors and swords these days are regarded as paid contents or DLCs. It will be great to have real expansion packs from CDPR and I will be more than willing to pay for them.
Nope. 1 month before the game is being released they announce expansion packs? These packs couldn’t be included with the game? This is ridiculous! Buts its ok I will play them but I won’t pay for them! Meaning I won’t support this whole greedy plague that has fallen on gaming! Way to go CDR..
How do you plan to play them if you’re not going to pay for them?
Its very easy. Its an Ancient method, but its secret. Only few dark covenants know it. haha Ok seriously now I am a gamer since 1989 and a collector in video games since 1995. I spent a fortune on games but as a conscious being, a consumer and a gamer I will not accept the greedy downhill gaming developers have chosen. Free 16 DLCs you say? Really now? How can people fall for that marketing? This DLCs, some beards, weapons, armors are ALREADY developed and should be included in the retail version! BUT no lets take them out and sell them as a “free” DLC! hahaha this is beyond ridiculous! And yes when I am dealing with companies like Ubisoft and their broken games or for the new plague on gaming called DLCs I play them for free! As for the expansion pack I just don’t think that on a game that’s already developed, meaning graphics engine etc they need 1 year for 30 hours of some extra quests. Its like the extended movies. They were already filmed and after a year they release the same movie with 20 minutes extra wanting more money. They could release it from the beginning like that. What I believe from what I have seen so far in the industry is that most part of this expansion pack is already made and in 6 months they will release the 1st part. As I said their “free” DLC is pure marketing to approach gamers why not their expansion?
If you don’t like something, why are you so interested in playing it anyway?
From everything I wrote this is your reply? Ok why not. Where exactly do you see in my comment that I do not like the game? Look dude I am not 15 years old. I am 33 and there are some things for me more important than just gaming.. I am criticizing their policy and the new greedy policy game developers in general have, not the game its self! I though it was clear enough. You are not talking with someone that hasn’t paid a single cent for his games. My collection alone estimates about 20,000$ I love original physical games and thats why I am paying for them but I have also played many games for free! Nothing to hide! Does it bother you that I will be playing something for free while you will pay for it? I don’t understand.. No offense or mock intended.
If you’re 33 you certainly don’t act like it. If you want to play the game, then pay for it. If you don’t pay for the game, then you don’t play it either. I thought that was simple enough.
🙂 Is that so? This is your opinion. I respect it but I disagree.
The first sentence of that comment is an opinion. The second sentence is a fact.
Ok man this is becoming pointless. I am not paying for it and I will still play the expansion! That’s a fact as well. Take care.
You take care too man. I just hope someday you learn to earn the things you want.
Thank you. But I do…
If you did, then we wouldn’t be having this conversation.
So you are still young and learning I see……Still in that ME ME ME stage…..it’ll pass about 40 something….HOPEFULLY.
So you speak for everyone else? Strangely but I can explain my point of view and express my beliefs for ME ME ME.. I cannot speak and do that for YOU YOU YOU… YOU can do that! Hopefully.
“1 month before the game is being released they announce expansion packs? These packs couldn’t be included with the game?”
Because if they wanted to add this new content, they would have to delay game to 2016? According to this article this is not the case of insignificant DLCs. 30+ new hours of gameplay is like you bought 2 or 3 new games nowadays. So if they offer it to us for some reward why not. This is understandable. You should realize that they offer 200 hours of gameplay in May. They have to be paid for that great work. And they have to be paid for work on next DLCs with mentioned content because many people are cooperating on this and much work has to be done. This is not for free. People should start to live in real world and not in imaginary world based on their less (or none) experiences. 🙂
I have replied thoroughly explaining my logic behind the comment I made above. I will add and reply to your comment that its not like 2 or 3 new games as you say. Although yes in length its true but we are dealing here with an already developed game adding some quests and stuff. You talk about payment. All of a sudden 60$ is not enough for a game? They will be paid its not they are giving us the game for free. I am living in the real world my friend and I am aware how the real world works but that doesn’t mean I go along and compromise with every exploitation. I am gamer and love to play games but I try to be first a conscious person.
Well all I’m saying is that you pay for a game. But expansions are something else. It’s another time which should be paid. There are people who must work on it and this is not free. You wouldn’t want to work for free right? If it would be another DLC with one hour of gameplay, or DLC with skins or cloth, I would agree with you. But this is not the case. This game is developed minimal 2 years and when you pay for game, you pay for that time. Not for another year. And you will also get other 16 DLCs. I’m not going to write that they are for free, because I think they were included in the price of season pass, but I’m also working in IT and understand why it is work like this. So if they spend another year on interesting work for a game I like, I’m ready to pay for that extra time if their work will not be overpriced.
You actually think these 20-30 hours of gaming have already been made? That must be why one of them isn’t coming out until October and the other (longer) one early 2016! They just have them stored on some servers tucked away in a warehouse somewhere!
You’re really 33 years old? Certainly not a very smart individual.
“I don’t want to pay for anything, please give me 30 hours worth of content for free.”
Yeah sure buddy. You want them to include content that comes out 5 months and then 7 more months(next year) after release into a game coming out in May?
Nice logic.
It’s almos like both of these didn’t even go into development until the main game was completed and out the door. But you go on and think you’ll play them without paying for them. The authorities would gladly take your things away from you for illegally downloading them. Enjoy prison too.
Goddamn entitled man children. Ruining society day by day.
These are still paid DLCs regardless. DSOGaming said it will stop covering all paid DLCs, and apparently they didn’t with this one. Not that I mind, but still it’s something to consider.
You’re probably replying to the wrong guy. I never said anything about not paying. That was the guy under me.
I still disagree, they made a pretty big deal out of it back then, and now they’re covering this, but it’s okay because people decided to call it an “expansion” instead of a “dlc”. Im happy with the posts anyways as it’s gaming news and that’s why you visit gaming news websites, but I still think they made some bad choices regarding this whole issue…
How old are you? I’m not trying to be offensive…
But the gaming industry coined the DLC AFTER expansions were the norm. 20-30 bucks for an additionally 10 or so hours of content was the norm in the 90s-early 00s
Then came DLC…with horse armor and costumes and a couple of maps/game modes.
In the interviews CD Project criticized the bite size DLC…they did not say expansion of old(as there are very few now a days) were bad.
So, they did NOT decide to use the word “expansion” instead of DLC…seeing as they are saying it’ll add 20 or more hours of content.
That’s miles ahead of what plagues the game industry today…turning it into a clone of the mobile game market almost.
That’s cool and all but, you have to acknowledge DLC is a collective term, for more than just horse armor and map packs. Also, I’m not even talking about CD project Red.
Anyways I don’t care much about this discussion, I was just mentioning how I thought it was weird how this site looks at expansions sometimes.
I’ve never seen a site complain about beefy expansion packs(A five dollar mission is different than Shivering Isle’s-like expansion).
DLC rarely means an expansion pack. It’s a collective term for small bite-size additions to a game….that many in the game industry abuse.
But anyways…we can agree to disagree if you don’t a discussion.
These witcher 3 DLC sounds like glory, compared with 200$ of DLC costumes for DOA 5.
Lol you have a point there.
It’s not really a bad move on CDPR’s side guys. The main game is already finished and they probably only recently started developing the expansion. It’s not bad that they announcing it before W3 released, they just telling us our plans. If you really want the expansion to be released with the main game then you can expect a delay and sorry but most of us want to play this game as soon as possible!
I thought Witcher 3 was to be a complete game and no DLC was to be made? oh geeez. But hey 30 hours? I am cool with that.
Witcher 3 will be the complete game. This will be new adventures, no story expansions.
Yeah I just read the rest of the article.. eh eh
Well to be fair witcher 2 was shorter than 1, so they can add stuff that way.
That’s true… 1 felt like forever next to playing 2.
It seems this are expansions like Starcraft ones, new maps, content and missions, so I can really call them DLCs, technically they are but at least is not cosmetic s**t for 100$ or paid 14.99 just to use the antagonist of the game.
You could argue a game is Downloadable Content. It’s a misnomer that has more connotation in the gaming world.
i want GTA V not this ->
dont read the article then?
W3 > GTAV
Eh. Only thing they have in common is open world. Everything else they go about doing way differently. Also, hating the mega popular and successful mainstream thing doesn’t make you cool.
Pre-ordered yesterday. 😉