For a first playthrough, finish The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt’s main story, then play Hearts of Stone, followed by Blood and Wine. That order keeps the main campaign uninterrupted and follows the expansions’ original release order. It is a recommendation, not a requirement: CD PROJEKT RED’s community manager said Hearts of Stone can also be played during the main story, and its quests are aimed at level 30 or higher.
Can you play Hearts of Stone during the main story?
Yes. In a 2015 interview reported by GameSpot, CD PROJEKT RED community manager Marcin Momot said: “You can play it after/during the main story. The HoS quests will be level 30+ though.” That makes level 30 a useful readiness marker if you want to mix the expansion into the campaign—not a mandatory starting level or a specific point in the story.
GameSpot’s report gives no exact campaign quest at which to begin. Choose a moment when you are comfortable pausing the main quest for a separate adventure.
Which order is best for a first playthrough?
| Order | Best for | Trade-off |
|---|---|---|
| Main story → Hearts of Stone → Blood and Wine | Players who want to complete the campaign before moving into the expansions | You postpone the expansion until after the main story. |
| Main story, with Hearts of Stone started during the campaign → Blood and Wine | Players who want to weave the first expansion into their campaign and are around level 30 | You pause the main quest for a separate adventure. |
The first order follows the original release sequence. CD PROJEKT RED announced Hearts of Stone as the first expansion in April 2015 and planned Blood and Wine afterward. The publisher described Hearts of Stone as a new, choice-shaped storyline centered on a contract involving Olgierd von Everec; you do not need a particular plot point to make the timing decision.
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#1 Best Overall
- 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.
CD PROJEKT RED’s expansion announcement and its expansion-pass announcement establish the release order. The publisher’s September 2015 announcement estimated more than 10 hours of new adventures for Hearts of Stone; that is a historical estimate, not a guaranteed playtime for every player. Read the release-date announcement.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How can you start Hearts of Stone separately?
If you want to play the expansion without progressing through the campaign first, the current official FAQ says you can start Hearts of Stone separately from the main menu. The same official page says both Hearts of Stone and Blood and Wine are included in the Complete Edition. Check the edition and platform listing you own before buying or expecting a separate expansion listing, because storefront packaging can vary or change.
Rank #2
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- 1205504
- High-quality material
- Durable
- robustness
Check CD PROJEKT RED’s current game page and FAQ.
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Rank #3
- 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.
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