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'Gwent' beta delayed until October, because first impressions matter, developer says

By Brad Jones August 10, 2016

gwent witcher card game closed beta delay the — Image used with permission by copyright holder

When CD Projekt Red announced a stand-alone Gwent game at E3 in May, many fans were delighted to hear that one of the standout elements of the excellent The Witcher 3 was set to make its debut. However, it seems that players will have to wait a little longer than expected before they try out the upcoming title for themselves.

The developer has announced that the planned closed beta of Gwent: The Witcher Card Game will be delayed. Despite having been announced for this September, the test period will now get underway on October 25.

“Unfortunately, we feel we need some extra time with the game before we hand it off to you for testing,” said the team working on the game in a statement. “We know we can make a first impression only once, and want to be sure everything is ready before we blast off. Delivering a good game is more important to us than keeping a deadline.”

This considered approach to development comes as little surprise; its hotly anticipated Cyberpunk 2077 was announced in 2012, but CD Projekt Red is yet to confirm a release date. It’s a winning strategy — The Witcher 3 was a resounding favorite when it came to 2015’s game of the year plaudits.

The statement also expresses that the team understands how fans might be disappointed by the news, and apologizes for the wait.

Gwent is a card game introduced in The Witcher 3, where players deploy “armies” from their customized decks in an attempt to kill off their opponent. The upcoming stand-alone version will be free to play, likely adopting a similar model to the one used in Blizzard’s Hearthstone.

Anyone interested in taking part in the Gwent closed beta can still sign up via the game’s official website.

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Brad is an English-born writer currently splitting his time between Edinburgh and Pennsylvania. You can find him on Twitter…

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