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Continue your old save if you still care about its unfinished quests, choices, or current story position. Start a regular New Game if you want to experience the campaign again with a clean progression. Choose New Game+ only after completing the main storyline when you want a fresh campaign that carries skills and items from a previous regular playthrough.
Before deleting or abandoning anything, load the old save, inspect the active quests and map, and play for a short session. A forgotten save is often easier to recover than it feels. Restart when the existing run has become a chore or when you deliberately want different decisions—not merely because you have been away for a while.
| # | Preview | Product | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
![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] | $37.16 | Buy on Amazon |
| 2 |
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Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Complete Edition - Xbox One | $27.99 | Buy on Amazon |
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The choice in one minute
| Your situation | Best option | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| You still want to finish the current story or side quests | Continue the old save | It preserves the choices, quest state, equipment and world position of that playthrough. |
| You want to replay with a clean character and narrative | Regular New Game | It starts the campaign again without relying on New Game+ carryover. |
| You finished the main storyline and want to retain character progress | New Game+ | CD PROJEKT RED describes it as a new campaign with skills and items from a previous playthrough. It is available after the main storyline is complete. Official New Game+ support |
| You want to resume on another supported platform | Transfer or Cross Progression | Use the instructions for your exact platform pair; the documented PlayStation 4-to-PlayStation 5 process is not a universal procedure. PlayStation transfer instructions |
| You think the current edition or expansions invalidated your save | Check the edition and save first | CD PROJEKT RED says save files remain compatible and Cross Progression remains functional after the current edition change. Current edition FAQ |
What continuing the old save gives you
Continuing is the only option that preserves the exact state of your current run. Your completed quests, failed objectives, dialogue choices, discovered locations and relationship decisions remain part of that version of the world. If you are halfway through a major quest line, loading the save avoids replaying the opening hours simply to reach the point where you stopped.
The main drawback is reorientation. The Witcher 3 can leave you with several active quests, overlapping contracts and a large map. You may remember the broad plot but not why a particular character is waiting in a village or which clue you were following. That does not mean the save is unusable; it means you need a short refresher.
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A five-minute reorientation routine
- Load the most recent safe save rather than immediately overwriting older files.
- Open the quest log and identify one main quest or side quest that still interests you. Read its objective and recent journal entries.
- Check the map for the quest marker, nearby signposts and your last known region.
- Review your inventory and character screen so you remember your build, equipped gear and available consumables.
- Play one small objective or travel to a familiar town. If the controls and story begin to feel natural again, keep the run.
Keep at least one earlier save before making a decision. If the old run still feels like work after this test, you have evidence that a restart—not simple forgetfulness—is what you want.
When a regular New Game is the better restart
A regular New Game is the clean narrative option. It lets you revisit the opening, rebuild Geralt from the beginning and make choices without the momentum of an old character build. Choose it when your goal is to experience the story as a complete arc again, test a different role-playing interpretation or make substantially different quest decisions.
Choose a regular New Game when you want to change the experience
- You remember the plot well enough to enjoy seeing it again, but want different dialogue or quest outcomes.
- Your old character build, level or inventory no longer fits how you want to play.
- You stopped early and feel no attachment to the unfinished run.
- You want a clean progression curve instead of beginning with an already developed character.
The cost is time: every early quest, travel unlock and character-building decision must be repeated. A regular New Game also does not use New Game+ carryover. It is therefore the right answer for a narrative reset, not for preserving mechanical progress.
When New Game+ is the right answer
New Game+ is designed for a second campaign that carries skills and items from a previous playthrough. CD PROJEKT RED states that it becomes available from the main menu after you finish the main storyline. The official wording is broad: it confirms skills and items, but does not publish an exhaustive item-by-item list covering every quest flag, diagram, recipe, resource or individual piece of equipment. Do not assume that every category of progress transfers identically.
Requirements and save restrictions
- You must complete the main storyline before New Game+ becomes available.
- The base version requires downloading the New Game+ DLC on your platform. The Complete Edition/Game of the Year version has that DLC embedded, according to CD PROJEKT RED support. Check the current support article if the option is missing.
- A New Game+ campaign cannot be used to start another New Game+ campaign. The support guidance requires a save from a regular game for the next journey.
That last restriction matters if you have already completed New Game+. Keep a usable regular-game save instead of relying only on the later New Game+ files. If you are unsure which file is eligible, do not delete older saves until the New Game+ option is available and the correct source save has been selected.
Who benefits most from New Game+
New Game+ suits players who enjoyed their build and want to see more of the campaign with that character identity intact. It also reduces the friction of experimenting with quests because you are not rebuilding every ability before reaching the content you want to revisit. It is not a shortcut to a completely identical world state: the official description confirms skills and items, not a guarantee that every previous quest outcome will be reproduced.
Do expansions or the current edition require a restart?
Usually, no. CD PROJEKT RED’s current FAQ says save files remain compatible and Cross Progression remains functional following the current edition change. It also explains that Hearts of Stone and Blood and Wine are included in the base game for players who did not already own the expansions, while existing owners keep their library entitlements. Standalone starts for the expansions remain available from the main menu. See the official game page and FAQ.
Therefore, do not restart solely because the expansions were folded into the current edition. First launch the edition that contains your save, verify that the file appears, and check whether the expansion content is available from the menu or through your existing campaign. If the save is missing, treat that as a platform, account or storage problem to diagnose—not proof that the campaign must be abandoned.
Moving a save between platforms
Transfer rules depend on the two platforms involved. The clearest official example is PlayStation 4 to PlayStation 5. CD PROJEKT RED instructs players to update the PS4 game to patch 4.04, connect both versions to the same CD PROJEKT RED account through My Rewards, create a save to upload, and then load that save in the PS5 version. Follow the complete PS4-to-PS5 procedure.
Use the transfer example safely
- Confirm that the source and destination versions support the same transfer or Cross Progression feature.
- Update the source game as required; the cited PS4-to-PS5 instructions specifically require patch 4.04.
- Link both versions to the same CD PROJEKT RED account through the stated account or My Rewards flow.
- Create and upload a current save on the source version.
- Open the destination version and load the uploaded save before changing or deleting local files.
Do not generalize those five steps to every PC, Xbox or PlayStation combination. The account requirement, cloud behavior and menu labels can vary. Consult the current support page for your exact pair, and keep a local or separate backup when the platform allows it.
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Do not confuse Witcher 2 import with continuing a Witcher 3 save
The PC manual describes an “Import The Witcher 2 saved game” option. It imports choices from The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings into The Witcher 3. If no Witcher 2 save is found in the relevant folder, the Prologue can simulate those choices. This feature affects continuity from the earlier game; it is not a method for loading an older Witcher 3 campaign or converting a regular save into New Game+.
Use the import option when you want earlier-game decisions represented in a new Witcher 3 run. Use the load-save or transfer features when you want to continue an existing Witcher 3 campaign. The distinction prevents an easy mistake: seeing an “import” label does not mean your previous Witcher 3 progress will be restored.
A restart checklist that protects your progress
- Confirm your goal: narrative replay, different choices, preserved build or platform move.
- Check completion status: New Game+ requires a completed main storyline and a regular-game source save.
- Test the old file: read the quest log, inspect the map and complete one small objective before deciding.
- Verify the edition: current support says existing saves remain compatible; do not assume an expansion update invalidated them.
- Back up before changing platforms or versions: retain a separate usable save and avoid overwriting the only copy.
- Confirm DLC availability: the base version may require a New Game+ DLC download, while Complete/Game of the Year editions include it.
- Check the exact platform instructions: the PS4-to-PS5 process requires patch 4.04, the same linked account and an uploaded save.
Common mistakes and how to avoid them
Deleting the old run because you forgot the plot
Forgetting your position is reversible; deleting the only save is not. Use the quest log and map first, then keep an older file until you are certain the new campaign is the one you want.
Expecting New Game+ from a New Game+ save
The official support rule is explicit: another New Game+ run must begin from a regular-game save. Preserve that eligible file even after completing the first New Game+ campaign.
Assuming every item and quest flag carries over
Official guidance confirms skills and items in general terms, not every individual category. Plan around that documented scope and verify any specific item or quest behavior for your edition rather than treating an assumption as a guarantee.
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The documented procedure is platform-specific. Patch 4.04, My Rewards linking and the upload step belong to that example; another transition may use different requirements.
Bottom line for three typical players
You stopped halfway through and still like the story
Continue the old save. Spend a few minutes rebuilding context through the journal and map, then reassess after one quest objective.
You finished the main story and want another run with your developed character
Use New Game+, provided the source is a regular-game save and the required DLC or edition support is present.
You want to experience the narrative from the beginning with different choices
Start a regular New Game. It is slower than loading an old file, but it gives you the clean progression and decision-making reset you are seeking.
Quick Recap
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