Geralt is done a-Witchering. He retired to Corvo Bianco to spend his days among the grapes and lounge in the sunshine of The Continent’s southern climes. Nobody can pull him out of his reverie. Not evenWitcher 3developer CD Projekt Red.
However, rumours abound thatThe Witcher 3 is getting more DLC, a decade after its initial release. It seems strange to add more to the game so long after release, especially as marketing for the Ciri-led Witcher 4 is already ramping up, despite the game seemingly still being years away. Did CDPR learn nothing from theCyberpunk 2077 launch?
While this DLC is far from confirmed, Polish podcastersRock and Borisclaim they have heard that it’s in the works. CDPR subsidiary Fool’s Theory is apparently tasked with the unenviable job of following up Hearts of Stone and Blood & Wine before it embarks on the previously advertised remake of the original game.
What To Expect From The New Witcher 3 DLC
I’m keeping my expectations low. Many fans are picking apart the specific wording of the statement. Traditionally, CDPR calls small cosmetic updates DLC and the larger additional stories “expansions”. People believe that, because this is called DLC, it will be nothing more than a new outfit for Geralt and Ciri. However, there’s a flaw to this logic.
I don’t expect anotherBlood & Wine, but I wonder if we could see a small mission added to connect the events of the Wild Hunt with the main story ofThe Witcher 4. Could we see Cirilla take on theTrial of the Grasses? Could we trek north towards Kovir, where therecent tech demotook place? There are plenty of options at CDPR’s fingertips, and fans are fervourous for an official announcement.
A Boy Can Dream
But we can allow ourselves a little wishlisting, can’t we? As a treat? We’ve been bereft of lovely Witcher goodness to beam into our eyeballs since the next-gen update two and a half years ago. Yes, I know there’s a TV show. My point still stands.
My dizziest daydreams for a belated Witcher 3 expansion would be the connective tissue between games three and four. The Witcher 3.5, if you will. CD Projekt will probably need to canonise one of the endings of The Witcher 3 in order to progress Ciri’s story in the sequel, so let’s see what she gets up to in a post-Geralt Continent.
We don’t necessarily need to see Ciri’s trial or training – we don’t need a tutorial when we’ve already played the main game and two expansions. We don’t even need to see her trial, although it would be cool. We just need to see her Witchering, or take her first steps on her journey to start Witchering. I doubt we’ll be taking on a Manticore or Gaunter O’Dimm, but we could venture north to see what the frozen wastes of Kovir will offer in a full game. A treacherous journey through the mountains, perhaps, or passing through Cairngorn and Creyden. But there’s also another option.
I’m going to contradict myself now. Earlier in this article – in the third sentence, to be precise – I said that there’s nobody who could coax Geralt out of retirement. But there is one person. That person is Ciri. And if Geralt gets a whiff of ancient knowledge, hears a hint that suggests women could pass the Trial of Grasses, you bet he’d pick up his trusty swords and go and find it. For her.
Witcher fans would get one last mission with Geralt – although I suspect he’ll cameo in The Witcher 4 – so they’ll be happy. Ciri would get to become a Witcher, so she’ll be happy. And Geralt will have helped the person he cares most about in the world. He, too, will finally be happy. Enjoy your retirement, big man. You deserve it.
