Help Roche if you want Roche, Ves, and Thaler to survive: Geralt kills Dijkstra and his men, Nilfgaard wins the war, and Temeria returns as a vassal state. If you leave the group to Dijkstra, the three Temerians die and Dijkstra rules the North. If Radovid is never assassinated, he wins instead.
This is a spoiler-forward guide to the final choice and its effect on Ciri’s ending.
What happens if you help Roche or Dijkstra?
The consequential choice comes after the assassination of Radovid, when Dijkstra tells the conspirators he will not honor a truce with Nilfgaard and moves against Roche’s group. The guides describe the options as “Won’t let you kill them” and “Do what you will.”
| Choice | Who survives | Who wins the war | Political result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 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 described in the Witcher.tools quest walkthrough and its war-ending guide; Prima Games’ endgame guide also covers the political outcomes. There is no universally best branch: defend Roche to save Geralt’s allies and restore Temeria in a dependent arrangement, choose Dijkstra’s side for his victory at the cost of those allies, or leave Radovid’s assassination unfinished and let him win.
Crashes, No Sound, or Screen Glitches?
Random freezes, missing sound and display glitches usually trace back to one bad driver. Find and replace yours safely.Free scan · under a minutePC Slower Than It Used to Be?
A free scan shows the junk files, broken settings and background clutter dragging Windows down - then fixes them in one click.Free scan · Windows 10 & 11#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.
How the choice unfolds
Dijkstra, Roche, and Thaler plot to assassinate Radovid. Geralt lures the king from his ship by claiming he has found Philippa’s hideout. Philippa gives Geralt Vizimir’s ring to persuade Radovid, and Roche’s ambush leads to a fight on the bridge. Philippa kills Radovid; the conspirators later meet at the theater, where Dijkstra makes his move against Roche’s group.
Can you still do Reason of State?
Reason of State is missable. Complete the connected assassination quests, spare Dijkstra during Blindingly Obvious, and finish Reason of State before On Thin Ice reaches the Naglfar arrival. If the quest is unavailable or remains unfinished past that point, Radovid wins the war.
Rank #2
- 1205504
- High-quality material
- Durable
- robustness
The guides identify A Deadly Plot, An Eye for an Eye, and Redania’s Most Wanted among the relevant prerequisites. For a reliable route, complete the listed quests, finish A Deadly Plot before The Isle of Mists, and share information about Emhyr’s intentions rather than using force against Dijkstra in Blindingly Obvious. The walkthroughs do not establish that reported exceptions are dependable.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Does helping Roche determine Ciri’s ending?
No. Defending Roche enables the Nilfgaard victory condition associated with Ciri becoming Empress, but does not guarantee that ending. Ciri must survive, Geralt must visit Emhyr, and Geralt must make more positive than negative choices in the specified Ciri decision quests. Her Witcher ending is governed separately by her survival and Geralt’s earlier decisions; not visiting Emhyr is among the conditions associated with that route.
Quick Recap
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.
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.

