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For a first playthrough, complete The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt’s main story, then play Hearts of Stone, followed by Blood and Wine. That sequence is practical guidance rather than a mandatory rule stated by CD PROJEKT RED. The publisher describes Hearts of Stone as a 10-hour-plus adventure and Blood and Wine as a 20-hour-plus tale; its Complete Edition description says the base game offers more than 100 hours and both expansions add another 50 hours together. Those are broad publisher estimates, not guaranteed completion times.
The short answer
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt has two major story expansions: Hearts of Stone and Blood and Wine. For a new player, the clearest route is:
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![NAMCO - CD Projekt Red - The Witcher 3 Wild Hunt - Complete Edition, Playstation 5 [English Edition]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51dWUfwFl5L._SL160_.jpg)
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NAMCO - CD Projekt Red - The Witcher 3 Wild Hunt - Complete Edition, Playstation 5 [English Edition] | $36.93 | Buy on Amazon |
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Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Complete Edition - Xbox One | $27.99 | Buy on Amazon |
- Play the base game’s main story.
- Play Hearts of Stone.
- Play Blood and Wine.
CD PROJEKT RED presents both expansions as continuations of Geralt’s adventures, but the official information does not describe that order as a requirement. Either expansion can be started separately from the main menu, so the recommended sequence is about a coherent first experience, not an enforced game rule.
Why this order works for a first playthrough
Start with the base game
The base game establishes Geralt’s current journey, its characters and its central story. Playing it first gives the expansions the context they were designed to continue. It also lets you decide how much optional content you want to complete before committing to the additional stories.
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Continue with Hearts of Stone
Hearts of Stone is the first expansion in the practical sequence. CD PROJEKT RED announced it as an all-new adventure built around a contract from the mysterious Man of Glass, with locations including No Man’s Land and Oxenfurt. The publisher’s announcement described it as a 10-hour-plus adventure.
Finish with Blood and Wine
Blood and Wine follows as the final major story addition in this recommendation. It introduces the in-game region of Toussaint and was announced by the publisher as a 20-hour-plus tale. Placing it last gives you a clear endpoint for the complete story experience without treating the sequence as a technical requirement.
Is the expansion order mandatory?
No official source reviewed for this guide states that the game imposes a mandatory order for starting the two expansions. CD PROJEKT RED’s current game information says each can be started separately from the main menu. That means you may access them independently if you are replaying the game, testing an expansion, or using a new-game option supplied by your platform edition.
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- Recommended: base-game main story, Hearts of Stone, then Blood and Wine for a straightforward first run.
- Required by the game: not established by the cited official material.
- Available separately: the publisher says either expansion can still be started from the main menu.
If you choose a different order, you are departing from the usual first-play recommendation, not breaking a rule documented by the publisher.
What the two expansions add
| Expansion | What the publisher highlights | Publisher duration statement | Role in the recommended order |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hearts of Stone | An all-new adventure involving a contract from the mysterious Man of Glass; locations include No Man’s Land and Oxenfurt. | 10-hour-plus adventure, announced in 2015. | Play after the base game. |
| Blood and Wine | Introduces the in-game region of Toussaint and continues Geralt’s adventures. | 20-hour-plus tale, announced in 2015. | Play after Hearts of Stone in the practical first-play sequence. |
CD PROJEKT RED’s current game page identifies both as major expansions. The Complete Edition includes both of them, rather than treating them as minor downloadable extras.
How long does The Witcher 3 take to beat?
The safest answer depends on which part of the game you mean and how you play. The available official figures are promotional estimates with broad wording, and they do not define one consistent completion style.
| Content | Official figure | Qualification |
|---|---|---|
| Base game | More than 100 hours | CD PROJEKT RED’s Complete Edition description; a broad publisher estimate, not a measured player average. |
| Hearts of Stone | 10 hours or more | CD PROJEKT RED announcement from 2015; the wording is “10-hour-plus adventure.” |
| Blood and Wine | 20 hours or more | CD PROJEKT RED announcement from 2015; the wording is “20-hour-plus tale.” |
| Both expansions together | Another 50 hours | Complete Edition description; this is a combined publisher estimate, not an exact sum for every player. |
Do not turn those figures into a guaranteed total. The sources do not publish an independently measured completion-time dataset, and they do not define whether “hours” means rushing the main objectives, completing every optional activity, exploring freely, or replaying content. A player who investigates more optional material can take substantially longer than someone who follows only the critical path.
How to interpret the time estimates
“10-hour-plus” and “20-hour-plus” are floors in marketing language
The wording indicates that the publisher expected each expansion to provide at least that broad scale of content. It is not a promise that every player will finish in exactly 10 or 20 hours, and it does not establish an upper limit.
“Over 100 hours” is not a completion guarantee
The base-game figure appears in a broad Complete Edition description. It communicates the size of the package, but it is not a controlled test, a median completion time or a platform-specific benchmark.
“Another 50 hours” should remain qualified
The same Complete Edition description uses “another 50 hours” for both expansions together. Because the wording is promotional and the sources do not explain the completion method, avoid presenting 150 hours as a fixed total. The useful conclusion is that the expansions add a substantial amount of content to an already large game.
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Which edition includes the expansions?
The Complete Edition
CD PROJEKT RED’s current game page says the Complete Edition includes the base game, Hearts of Stone and Blood and Wine. For someone buying the game now, that is the edition to check first when the goal is to have the full package.
Existing base-game owners
The publisher’s FAQ says the base game has been replaced by the Complete Edition on digital storefronts and that existing owners should update to install the expansions. It also says owners retain their expansions and that existing save files remain compatible. Those statements describe the publisher’s entitlement and save-compatibility policy; the exact download or update flow can vary by platform.
Can you still buy only the base game?
The official FAQ asks whether the base game can still be purchased without Hearts of Stone and Blood and Wine. Its availability language indicates that standalone base-game products have been replaced on digital storefronts by the Complete Edition. Because storefront catalogues and editions can differ by platform and region, verify the current listing for the system you use before buying.
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Can the expansions be started separately?
Yes. CD PROJEKT RED’s FAQ says that either expansion can still be started separately from the main menu. This is useful if you want to sample an expansion, begin a self-contained replay, or access expansion content without following the full base-game route first.
Separate access does not change the recommended first-play order. It simply means the game provides an alternate entry point. Before selecting that option, read the platform’s current description so you know whether it creates a standalone starting state or uses another edition-specific setup.
Will existing save files still work?
According to the publisher’s FAQ, existing saves remain compatible when owners update to install the expansions. Keep the qualification in mind: this is the official compatibility statement, while the practical update process can differ between platforms. If your save is important, use the platform’s normal backup or cloud-save feature before installing a major edition update.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What about a physical Nintendo Switch edition?
CD PROJEKT RED’s 2021 Nintendo Switch announcement documented a Complete Edition game card containing the base game, both expansions and the free downloadable content. That establishes that a physical Complete Edition card existed. It does not establish that every retailer still has stock, so current availability must be checked with the retailer and region where you intend to buy.
A practical first-playthrough plan
1. Decide what “finished” means for you
Before estimating your schedule, choose whether you want to follow the main story only, include optional activities, or explore as much as possible. The official figures do not define a single completion style, so your choice matters more than a headline number.
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2. Complete the base-game main story
Use the base game as your narrative foundation. You can include optional content along the way, but keep your own stopping point clear if you are trying to compare your progress with the publisher’s broad estimate.
3. Start Hearts of Stone
After the base-game story, begin the first recommended expansion. Expect the publisher’s 10-hour-plus scale to be a minimum-style indication rather than a stopwatch target.
4. Move to Blood and Wine
Use Blood and Wine as the final major chapter in this plan. Its Toussaint setting and 20-hour-plus publisher estimate make it a substantial concluding commitment.
5. Recheck your edition if an expansion is missing
If an expansion does not appear, confirm that your account owns the Complete Edition or the relevant expansion entitlement, install the latest available update for your platform, and consult the platform’s current support page. Do not assume that a physical card, digital listing and older base-game licence have identical menus or purchase paths.
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- Assuming the order is enforced: the recommended sequence is editorial guidance; the cited publisher material does not make it mandatory.
- Treating estimates as a promise: “10-hour-plus,” “20-hour-plus” and “over 100 hours” are publisher descriptions, not measured averages.
- Adding every number into an exact total: the sources do not establish a guaranteed 150-hour playthrough.
- Assuming current stock: the 2021 Switch announcement proves a physical edition existed, not that it is available today.
- Assuming every storefront is identical: edition names, entitlements and update steps can vary by platform and region.
What CD PROJEKT RED says about the scope
In the 2015 expansion announcement, CD PROJEKT RED co-founder Marcin Iwiński said: “Both our expansions offer more hours of gameplay than quite a few standalone games out there.” The sentence is promotional language, but it accurately reflects the publisher’s intended positioning: these are major story expansions, not brief add-ons.
Bottom line for different kinds of players
New to the game
Play the base-game main story, then Hearts of Stone, then Blood and Wine. This gives you the most straightforward narrative progression.
Returning player with an existing save
Update your installation according to your platform’s instructions. The publisher says existing saves remain compatible, and either expansion can be launched separately from the main menu.
Shopping for the complete package
Look for the Complete Edition, which the current publisher page says contains the base game and both major expansions. Confirm the exact platform listing before purchase.
Planning your time
Use the publisher’s figures as scale markers: more than 100 hours for the base game, 10-plus for Hearts of Stone, 20-plus for Blood and Wine, and another 50 hours for both expansions together. Your actual total will depend on how much optional content and exploration you include.
Quick Recap
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