For a first playthrough, follow the main continuity in release order: The Witcher (2007), The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings (2011), The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt (2015), Hearts of Stone (2015), then Blood and Wine (2016). Play Thronebreaker: The Witcher Tales only after the trilogy if you want a separate Witcher story, and treat GWENT: The Witcher Card Game as optional competitive card play rather than a required story chapter.
This order preserves the Geralt storyline, follows the games’ dated releases, and places The Witcher 3’s expansions in their intended sequence. The 2026 remaster does not change that narrative order.
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Why release order is also the safest story order
The Witcher games are not a single anthology with interchangeable entries. The first three role-playing games form a continuing post-book game continuity centered on Geralt of Rivia. Each main release assumes that the player’s understanding of Geralt, his relationships and the political world can deepen over time. Starting with the earliest game gives that development room to accumulate instead of asking a later game to explain years of context in compressed form.
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1Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsRelease order is also the most defensible story order because CD PROJEKT RED has published release dates and product descriptions, not a complete scene-by-scene chronology for every spin-off. The main trilogy and its two story expansions can therefore be kept together with confidence; side projects are best treated as separate experiences unless their own material clearly makes them part of Geralt’s ongoing arc.
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That distinction matters when people ask whether a card match or a side campaign should be inserted between two Geralt adventures. A game’s setting in the Witcher universe does not automatically make it a mandatory chapter in the trilogy.
The recommended first-play sequence
| Game | Release year | Format | Place in a first playthrough |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Witcher | 2007 | Single-player role-playing game | Begin here |
| The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings | 2011 | Single-player role-playing game | Play after The Witcher |
| The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt | 2015 | Single-player open-world role-playing game | Play after The Witcher 2 |
| Hearts of Stone | 2015 | Story expansion for The Witcher 3 | Play after starting The Witcher 3; finish before Blood and Wine |
| Blood and Wine | 2016 | Story expansion for The Witcher 3 | Play last in the Geralt game arc |
| Thronebreaker: The Witcher Tales | 2018 | Self-contained single-player campaign | Optional, preferably after the trilogy |
| GWENT: The Witcher Card Game | 2018 | Competitive and collectible card game | Optional; no required story position |
The first five entries are the core recommendation. The final two belong to the same broad setting but do not need to be inserted into the Geralt sequence.
What to expect from each main entry
1. The Witcher (2007)
The original game is the foundation of the post-book game continuity. It introduces this version of Geralt and establishes the tone, conflicts and relationships that later games build on. Playing it first means that references in the sequels arrive as developments rather than unexplained history.
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Its age is the main practical consideration. A first-time player may find its interface, pacing and combat less immediately accessible than the later games. That is a reason to adjust settings, read the tutorial material and take the opening hours patiently—not a reason to move it later in the story. If you skip it, you are choosing a shorter route into the series, but you are also surrendering the earliest part of the game’s continuity.
2. The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings (2011)
The second game continues Geralt’s game-specific storyline and is the bridge between the original title and The Witcher 3. It belongs directly after The Witcher in both release order and the recommended narrative progression.
Do not treat it as a disposable prologue to the third game. Its position gives the trilogy a middle chapter rather than a jump from the first game’s introduction straight to the open-world conclusion. If you want the clearest understanding of how the series’ central conflicts and political stakes develop, this is the game that supplies the transition.
3. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt (2015)
The Witcher 3 is the large open-world conclusion of the main Geralt trilogy. It is the most common starting point for new players because it is the modern, expansive entry, but playing it first changes the experience: you meet Geralt at the end of a continuity that began in 2007.
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Starting here is still a valid practical choice if older games are a barrier. Use it as a late entry rather than claiming it is the complete story from the beginning. The game’s scale makes it easy to spend dozens of hours on optional material, so decide before starting whether you want to follow the main path first or explore freely. Either approach belongs after the first two games in the recommended sequence.
4. Hearts of Stone (2015)
Hearts of Stone is the first major story expansion for The Witcher 3 and should be played before Blood and Wine. It was released in the same year as the base game, but its release date does not mean it should be placed before the main game. Finish enough of The Witcher 3 to understand its systems and central situation, then enter Hearts of Stone when you are ready for a substantial additional campaign.
Players using a complete edition should still confirm how the expansion is installed and how its quest access is presented on their platform. The important narrative rule is simple: Hearts of Stone comes before Blood and Wine.
5. Blood and Wine (2016)
Blood and Wine is the second story expansion and the final stop in this recommended Geralt playthrough. Leaving it until last preserves the intended progression from the base game through the first expansion and then to the later expansion.
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One free scan finds every outdated or missing driver and matches the right update for your exact hardware.Free scan · exact hardware matchDo not place Blood and Wine between the earlier trilogy entries. It is additional content for The Witcher 3, not a replacement for the third game’s main campaign or a bridge between The Witcher 1 and The Witcher 2.
Should you play The Witcher 1 before The Witcher 3?
Yes, if your goal is the fullest continuity. The first game begins the post-book game storyline, the second develops it, and the third concludes the trilogy. That progression is why the recommended order starts with The Witcher rather than the most recent main game.
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- Play as a highly trained monster slayer for hire.
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- The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Game of the Year edition brings together the base game and all the additional content released to date.
You can begin with The Witcher 3 if the older presentation makes you unlikely to finish the series. In that case, understand the trade-off: you are entering the concluding chapter first and may encounter established characters or circumstances without their earlier development. You can later return to the first two games as historical context, but their reveals will no longer arrive in the original progression.
A useful decision rule is:
- Choose the full sequence if continuity and character history matter more than modern convenience.
- Choose The Witcher 3 first if access, time or tolerance for an older game is the deciding factor.
- Do not start with GWENT if your objective is to follow Geralt’s story; it is a different game format.
Where Thronebreaker fits
Thronebreaker: The Witcher Tales, released in 2018, is an optional, self-contained single-player campaign in the Witcher setting. It is not required to understand the three-game Geralt arc, so there is no need to interrupt the main sequence to make room for it.
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Its format also distinguishes it from the main games. It is a single-player campaign, but it is not another numbered Geralt adventure. The absence of a required position is intentional: the game can be enjoyed as a side story without changing the order of the core releases.
Is GWENT part of the story order?
GWENT: The Witcher Card Game was released in 2018 as a free-to-play strategic collectible card game in the Witcher universe, according to CD PROJEKT RED’s product description. It is built around competitive and collectible card play, not a required chapter in the main single-player narrative.
Do not count individual GWENT matches as chronological story events. Winning a match does not advance Geralt’s place in the trilogy, and there is no need to complete a card collection before playing The Witcher 3, Hearts of Stone or Blood and Wine.
If you enjoy card games, play GWENT whenever you like. If your aim is a coherent story marathon, leave it outside the numbered sequence and return to it as optional world-related entertainment.
Release order versus story order
For the main games, these two concepts align closely enough that you do not need separate lists. The Witcher (2007), The Witcher 2 (2011) and The Witcher 3 (2015) are the dated releases that define the main Geralt continuity. Hearts of Stone and Blood and Wine are expansions released in 2015 and 2016, respectively, and their intended order is the same order in which they arrived.
The distinction becomes useful only for the 2018 side releases. Thronebreaker has its own self-contained campaign, while GWENT is a competitive card game. Because official material does not establish a complete scene-by-scene chronology for every spin-off, inserting either one into the trilogy would suggest a precision that has not been established. Keeping them optional is more accurate than inventing a timeline.
Choosing an entry path
| Your priority | Best path | What you gain | What you give up |
|---|---|---|---|
| Complete narrative continuity | The Witcher, The Witcher 2, The Witcher 3, Hearts of Stone, Blood and Wine | The full progression of the main game continuity | More time with an older first entry |
| Modern entry point | The Witcher 3, then Hearts of Stone and Blood and Wine | Immediate access to the concluding open-world game and its expansions | Earlier character and story development arrives late or remains unexplored |
| Another single-player Witcher campaign | Thronebreaker after the main arc | A self-contained story in the same setting | It does not complete or replace Geralt’s trilogy |
| Competitive card play | GWENT whenever you want | Strategic collectible matches | No required progression through the Geralt narrative |
If you want the modern entry point in one purchase, look for The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Complete Edition. Before buying, check the exact platform and region listing and confirm that it includes both Hearts of Stone and Blood and Wine; store packaging and availability can differ.
The 2026 remaster and what it changes
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt — Remastered launched on September 29, 2026, for PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch 2 and Battle.net. CD PROJEKT RED describes it as a free upgrade for qualifying existing owners.
The remaster changes the version you may install, not the order in which the story should be played. It remains the third main game, and its two expansions retain the sequence of Hearts of Stone before Blood and Wine. If you own an eligible version, verify the upgrade entitlement for your platform before assuming the remastered build is included; “qualifying existing owners” is narrower than every historical purchase.
New players should compare the edition name, platform and expansion contents at checkout. A remastered base game and a complete edition answer different purchasing questions: one identifies the updated version, while the other identifies whether the two story expansions are bundled.
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What is announced for the future?
CD PROJEKT RED announced Songs of the Past, a paid third expansion for The Witcher 3 planned for 2027 on current-generation platforms. The expansion is set to introduce the new region of Letten.
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How to plan a first playthrough
Step 1: Decide whether continuity or convenience wins
Choose the five-part main sequence if you want the story to unfold from its earliest game chapter. Choose The Witcher 3 as a starting point only when the older games would prevent you from playing at all. Make that decision before purchasing expansions so you know whether you are building a complete run or a modern-first route.
Step 2: Keep the main game and expansions together
After reaching The Witcher 3, treat Hearts of Stone and Blood and Wine as part of the same long-form plan. Do not start Blood and Wine simply because it is available in the same menu; its position after Hearts of Stone is the recommended expansion order.
Step 3: Separate side content from required chapters
Schedule Thronebreaker after the main arc if you want another campaign. Schedule GWENT independently according to your interest in card play. Neither decision should delay or reorder the three main Geralt games.
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Step 4: Check the edition before installing
- Confirm whether you are buying the original or the 2026 remastered version of The Witcher 3.
- Confirm that your platform is supported by the listing you are using.
- Confirm that Hearts of Stone and Blood and Wine are included if you want the complete expansion sequence.
- For an existing copy, check whether the free remaster upgrade applies to that purchase.
Step 5: Keep expectations consistent
The first game is from 2007, the second from 2011, and the third from 2015. Differences in age, scale and presentation are normal across a trilogy released over eight years. Evaluating each entry in the context of its place in the series will make the transition less confusing than expecting every game to behave like the remastered third entry.
Common ordering mistakes
Starting with the expansions
Hearts of Stone and Blood and Wine are not independent numbered sequels. They are The Witcher 3 story expansions, and Blood and Wine follows Hearts of Stone. Play the base game before treating either expansion as a campaign destination.
Putting Thronebreaker between the numbered games
Thronebreaker is self-contained. Moving it between The Witcher and The Witcher 2, or between The Witcher 2 and The Witcher 3, does not improve the main continuity and can make a first playthrough feel interrupted.
Using GWENT as a chronology test
GWENT’s matches are gameplay sessions, not milestones in Geralt’s plot. The card game’s Witcher setting explains its connection to the universe, but not a required place in the trilogy.
Assuming the remaster creates a new story chapter
The 2026 remaster is a new version of The Witcher 3, launched on September 29, 2026. It does not become a fourth numbered entry simply because it is a separate release build.
Adding announced content to a current play list
Songs of the Past is planned for 2027. Until it is released, keep it in an “upcoming” note rather than placing it after Blood and Wine as though it were already playable.
How the series’ scale affects the decision
The Witcher 3’s status can make the order question feel unusually high-stakes. CD PROJEKT RED said in a May 27, 2026 announcement that the game had sold more than 60 million copies since its 2015 release, won more than 250 Game of the Year awards and received 1,000 industry awards. Those figures explain why many players encounter The Witcher 3 first, but popularity does not change its position as the trilogy’s concluding main game.
CD PROJEKT RED describes the series as following “the adventures of professional monster slayer Geralt of Rivia.” That description covers the shared identity of the games without making every Witcher-branded release a required Geralt chapter. The order should therefore be based on continuity and format, not on the presence of the Witcher name alone.
Final practical recommendation
For the most complete first playthrough, begin with the 2007 game, continue through the 2011 sequel, finish the 2015 third game, then play Hearts of Stone and Blood and Wine in that order. Add Thronebreaker afterward if you want a separate single-player campaign, and play GWENT whenever you want card matches. Use the 2026 remastered version where it is available, but keep it in The Witcher 3’s existing place rather than treating it as a new chapter.
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