Spoilers: Help Roche if you want Roche, Ves, and Thaler to live. Geralt kills Dijkstra and his men, Nilfgaard wins the war, and Temeria returns as a vassal state. If you walk away, Dijkstra’s men kill the three Temerians and Dijkstra rules the North. If Radovid’s assassination plot is never completed, Radovid wins instead.
What happens when you choose Roche or Dijkstra?
The choice comes at the theater after the conspirators assassinate Radovid. Dijkstra announces that he will not honor a truce with Nilfgaard and moves against Roche’s group. The consequential dialogue options are described as “Won’t let you kill them” and “Do what you will.”
| Choice | Who survives | Who wins the war | Political outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| Choose “Won’t let you kill them” and defend Roche | Roche, Ves, and Thaler survive; Geralt kills Dijkstra and his men. | Nilfgaard | Temeria returns as a vassal state. |
| Choose “Do what you will” and leave | Dijkstra’s men kill Roche, Ves, and Thaler; Dijkstra survives. | Dijkstra defeats Nilfgaard. | Dijkstra rules Redania and the North. |
| Do not complete the assassination plot | Radovid remains alive. | Radovid | Radovid rules the North. |
These outcomes are supported by the Reason of State walkthrough and the war-ending guide; Prima’s endgame guide also describes the political outcomes.
Which choice should you make?
Choose Roche if you want to protect his group
Defending Roche saves Geralt’s Temerian allies and enables Nilfgaard’s victory. Temeria is restored, but as a vassal state rather than an independent power. This is the direct choice if Roche, Ves, and Thaler’s survival matters most to you.
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Leave if you want Dijkstra to rule
Walking away sacrifices Roche, Ves, and Thaler, but puts Dijkstra in power and lets him defeat Nilfgaard. Neither branch is an unqualified “best” ending: the choice trades the survival of Geralt’s allies and Temeria’s dependent restoration against Dijkstra’s rule.
Can you still do Reason of State?
Reason of State is a missable secondary quest. Complete the connected assassination quests and spare Dijkstra during Blindingly Obvious; the guides describe sharing information about Emhyr’s intentions rather than using force against Dijkstra. Finish the quest before On Thin Ice reaches the Naglfar arrival. If the quest is unavailable or unfinished by that point, Radovid wins the war.
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The walkthroughs identify A Deadly Plot, An Eye for an Eye, and Redania’s Most Wanted among the prerequisites. For a reliable route, complete those listed quests, finish A Deadly Plot before the Isle of Mists, spare Dijkstra during Blindingly Obvious, and complete Reason of State before the endgame deadline. The walkthrough’s unlock and quest details are in the quest guide and ending guide.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Does this choice affect Ciri’s ending?
Defending Roche makes Nilfgaard’s victory condition possible for Ciri’s Empress route, but it does not guarantee that ending. Ciri must survive, Geralt must have visited Emhyr, and Geralt must make more positive than negative choices in the specified Ciri decision quests.
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- If you buy this game, you will receive a free next-gen update on December 14th!
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Ciri’s Witcher ending depends separately on her survival and Geralt’s earlier decisions. Not visiting Emhyr is among the conditions associated with that route. The Prima endgame guide details the political slides and Ciri-ending conditions.
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