For a first playthrough, finish the prologue and White Orchard, work through the Velen, Novigrad, and Skellige investigations at a comfortable level, continue through Kaer Morhen to the main-story finale, then play Hearts of Stone followed by Blood and Wine. This is a recommended route for pacing and story flow, not a locked order, because the Act 1 regions overlap. If you do not own the game yet, the official product page for The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Complete Edition identifies the base game and both expansions.
Start with the prologue and White Orchard
The opening quests introduce the core story and the game’s systems. Finish the local content in White Orchard before you move on. AllThingsHow’s quest-order guide, updated October 2, 2026, lists the prologue sequence as follows:
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
- Kaer Morhen
- Lilac and Gooseberries
- The Beast of White Orchard
- The Incident at White Orchard
- Imperial Audience
Work through the Act 1 investigations
Velen, Novigrad, and Skellige each carry a main investigation. Take them in whatever sequence your travel and story allow. Between investigations, clear the side quests and contracts that suit Geralt’s current level, since a region you leave with unfinished nearby work is harder to return to later.
The Tool Desk
Outbyte Driver Updater FREEScan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Outbyte PC Repair FREEClear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Kaer Morhen and the main-story finale
Continue into the Kaer Morhen phase and the main plot when you are ready. Players who want completion should pause before the major story milestones and review what is still open. The categories worth checking are:
#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.
- Side quests and contracts
- Treasure hunts
- Gwent
- Achievements
- Easily missed events
Hearts of Stone and Blood and Wine
The suggested route places both expansions after the base game for story reasons. CD PROJEKT RED’s official support FAQ states: “Yes, it’s still possible to start Hearts of Stone and Blood and Wine separately via the main menu.” The route is therefore a recommendation for the smoothest story flow, not a requirement to finish one expansion before starting the other.
| Expansion | Position in the suggested route | Earlier start | Mandatory unlock condition |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hearts of Stone | After the base-game finale | Possible if you want to enter its content sooner | Not stated in the cited sources; placement is editorial advice |
| Blood and Wine | Last, closing out Geralt’s adventure | Possible by starting it from the main menu, per CD PROJEKT RED’s support FAQ | Not stated in the cited sources; placement is editorial advice |
Before you start
- Check your platform and storefront listing for both expansions. CD PROJEKT RED’s support FAQ says the expansions are part of the current offering, but platform and storefront details differ.
- Read the level shown in your quest log before each main investigation, rather than relying on a number from a guide.
- Decide your goal early. A story-focused run can follow the route as written; a completion run should use the checklist above before the endgame.
What this guide does not confirm
This route draws on CD PROJEKT RED’s official support FAQ and product page, the AllThingsHow quest-order guide, and a third-party completion checklist that is not affiliated with or endorsed by CD PROJEKT RED. Those sources establish the overall shape of the route. They do not establish:
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.
Rank #2
![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)
- 1205504
- High-quality material
- Durable
- robustness
- A quest-by-quest list of missable content, or the exact trigger that closes any optional quest.
- Verified recommended levels for every phase and expansion.
- Any mandatory unlock condition for Hearts of Stone or Blood and Wine.
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.
