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The Witcher 3 Expansions Explained: When to Play Hearts of Stone and Blood and Wine

For a first playthrough, finish The Witcher 3’s main story before playing Hearts of Stone, then Blood and Wine. The order is a recommendation, not a requirement.
Length2 min Posted Quest giverVGSources Team
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For a first playthrough, finish The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt’s main story, then play Hearts of Stone, followed by Blood and Wine. That is a clear, spoiler-conscious recommendation—not a required order. The two expansions are separate adventures and can also be started from the main menu.

What each expansion adds

Hearts of Stone

Hearts of Stone is a focused contract story. Geralt travels through No Man’s Land and Oxenfurt to take a job from the mysterious Man of Glass; the contract develops into a web of deceit. CD PROJEKT RED described it in its 2015 announcement as a “10-hour-plus adventure,” a launch-era estimate rather than a guaranteed playtime. Read the announcement.

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Blood and Wine

Blood and Wine takes Geralt to Toussaint, a new in-game region where courtly rituals and a carefree surface conceal an ancient secret. CD PROJEKT RED’s 2015 announcement called it a “20-hour-plus tale”; that, too, is a launch-era estimate, not a promise of how long an individual playthrough will take. Read the announcement.

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The publisher describes both as major expansions with new characters, places, and stories. In practical terms, Hearts of Stone is the more contained contract adventure, while Blood and Wine opens up a distinct region and works well as the final chapter of the pair. That placement is a narrative recommendation, not an official requirement. The official game page.

#1 Best Overall
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Complete Edition - Xbox Series X
  • Trained from early childhood and mutated to gain superhuman skills, strength, and reflexes, witchers are a counterbalance to the monster-infested world in which they live.
  • Built for endless adventure, the massive open world of The Witcher sets new standards in terms of size, depth, and complexity.
  • Take on the most important contract of your life: to track down the child of prophecy, the key to saving or destroying this world.

When to play them, and in what order

  1. Finish the main story. This gives you the base game’s central narrative before moving into the expansions.
  2. Play Hearts of Stone. Its focused contract story makes it a natural first expansion.
  3. Play Blood and Wine last. Its new setting and broader adventure make it a satisfying final stop.

You do not have to follow this sequence to access the content. CD PROJEKT RED says both expansions can be started separately through the main menu. A separate guide reports recommended quest-log levels of 32 for Hearts of Stone and 34 for Blood and Wine; the official sources cited here do not confirm those figures. Use the levels shown in your own quest log as your practical guide. CD PROJEKT RED’s support instructions; IGN’s Hearts of Stone guide.

Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Support on Ko-Fi

Do you need to buy the expansions separately?

CD PROJEKT RED’s current support FAQ says the Complete Edition includes both expansions and replaces the base-game storefront offering. If you already own The Witcher 3, check for the update that includes the expansions before paying for them again. The FAQ describes previous-generation console handling separately, so exact update and download steps depend on your platform. Check the support FAQ.

If you do not own the game, confirm that the Complete Edition listing you are considering is for your platform, format, and region. Store availability and edition details can vary.

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Quick Recap

Bestseller No. 2
Bestseller No. 3
Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Complete Edition - Xbox One
Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Complete Edition - Xbox One
If you buy this game, you will receive a free next-gen update on December 14th!; Play as a highly trained monster slayer for hire.
$27.99
Rank #3
Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Complete Edition - Xbox One
  • If you buy this game, you will receive a free next-gen update on December 14th!
  • Play as a highly trained monster slayer for hire.
  • Built for endless adventure, the massive open world of The Witcher sets new standards in terms of size, depth and complexity.
  • The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Game of the Year edition brings together the base game and all the additional content released to date.

Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.

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