Unstoppable: The Witcher 3 developer confirms there is no level cap

By Kris Wouk Published June 3, 2015

We’ve said it before: The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is a big game. That doesn’t just apply to the size of its areas either. There is a lot to do and a lot to learn, and it turns out that if you want to, you can learn all of it.

In response to a user’s question on Twitter, CD Projekt Red community lead Marcin Momot confirmed in a tweet that there is no level cap in The Witcher 3. This means that — at least in theory — players can unlock every skill that Geralt has available to him.

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Of course, anyone who has played the game will know that this is easier said than done. The Witcher 3 doesn’t exactly dole out heaps of experience from quests, and while you do get some experience from fighting monsters, it would still be a long road to max out every skill tree.

In an interesting turn, this new development has led to players asking CD Projekt Red to add a New Game+ mode to the game, IGN reports. This would allow fans to play through the game again, get a chance to make different choices throughout the story, and continue to develop Geralt’s skills in the process.

So far, the company hasn’t addressed this request, but that doesn’t mean it won’t happen. CD Projekt Red has said it intends to prioritize The Witcher 3, to the point that it has put Cyberpunk 2077 on the back burner.

The company has announced that it has two major expansion packs planned for The Witcher 3. The first, Hearts of Stone, will take more than 10 hours to complete, while the second, Blood and Wine, will add over 20 hours of content to the game. This comes on top of the already-lengthy main game, so there will be plenty of time to continue to build and use Geralt’s abilities.

Hearts of Stone isn’t expected until October of this year, and Blood and Wine won’t ship until some time in 2016, but it’s good for fans of the game to know that they don’t have a level cap to worry about hitting in the meantime.

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Former Digital Trends Contributor

Kris Wouk is a tech writer, gadget reviewer, blogger, and whatever it's called when someone makes videos for the web. In his…

Gaming

What is the level cap in Baldur’s Gate 3?

A wizard charges a spell to hit a minataur.

One of the most satisfying things about deep CRPGs like Baldur's Gate 3 is creating your character. You can tweak their features, choose their race and class, and develop them to be just how you like. Each level obviously increases your total power and abilities, but also unlocks new skills and options to pick from. Even if you decide not to multi-class and focus just on your main build, you won't be able to create an all-powerful character. There's a limit before you won't be able to gain any more levels, so knowing just how much room you have left could impact your decisions on what to invest in. If you're curious just how many levels you have left to gain in Baldur's Gate 3, here's the final level cap for your character.
What is the level cap in Baldur's Gate 3?

While developer Larian originally planned for the level cap in the full release to be 10, just before launch it announced that the cap had been moved up to 12. Early access players were only able to reach level 5, meaning even those who played the game before launch still have more than double the amount of levels to gain on their new characters. The message that came with the announcement stated: "While we originally planned for Level 10 to be the highest character level in the game, too many rad high-level spells would have been left just out of reach had we done so. Instead, Baldur's Gate 3 players will be able to reach Level 12, unlocking Planar Allies, Otto's Irresistible Dance, and Chain Lightning."

Gaming

God of War Ragnarok shares a key strength with The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

The Hafgufa flies away in God of War Ragnarok.

God of War Ragnarok’s main story is memorable, but some of the smaller moments are what have stuck with me most since completing it. I'm not just talking about its moments of quiet, but its optional Favors as well. These sidequests can be entirely ignored, but skipping them is a mistake as they contain some of the game’s best scenes. It's a trait that God of War Ragnarok shares with The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, one of the best RPGs of the last decade.
In some large RPGs, sidequests can often boil down to boring fetch quests, or they simply may not have as much polish put into their writing. As a result, they can feel like content bloat that does more harm than good to the game’s pacing. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt and God of War Ragnarok avoid this problem by elevating these sidequests, making the entire adventure feel more cohesive and ensuring that the small moments stick out as some of the best.
More than a side thing
Like God of War Ragnarok, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt features a lengthy main story full of memorable characters, set pieces, and boss fights. While those alone would have made it a strong RPG, it’s remembered as an all-time great because of how rich its world is, something that's reflected in its side content. There were quests like Ghosts of Past, which pays off the character arc of Witcher 2 character Letho, but it's entirely possible to finish the game without ever seeing it.

Others, like Return to Crookback Bog, turn what could just be some fun supernatural fights into a chilling tale about abuse and broken families. While The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt’s main narrative is strong, these side moments are what make it a game that sticks with you years after release. I can already tell the same will be true of God of War Ragnarok, as some of my favorite missions in the game are entirely optional Favors.
An early game Favor called The Weight of Chains sees Kratos, Mimir, and Atreus freeing a giant Lyngbakr sea creature that Mimir imprisoned while working with Odin. They manage to break its chains, but find that it now struggles to move and do what it used to. This sidequest takes a series of somewhat standard combat encounters and puzzles and spins them into critical aspects of a memorable tale. The Weight of Chains reflects on how Kratos and Mimir’s reckless actions have had irreversible consequences, but they now have an opportunity to be better people in the future.
Another standout Favor called Secret of the Sands, where Kratos and Atreus free a trapped jellyfish-like creature called a Hafgufa, is also quite beautiful. The short story shows what Kratos will do to be able to spend more time with his son in the face of Ragnarok. However ordinary these sidequests may be from a gameplay standpoint, their narrative relevance and level of polish are on par with some of God of War Ragnarok’s main quests. This high effort even applies to some side missions that wholly exist with NPCs in the game’s overworld, ones that aren't even built around huge set pieces. For example, there’s The Lost Treasure quest.

Gaming

The Witcher 3’s long-delayed current-gen update launches this December

Geralt fighting an enemy in The Witcher 3.

As promised, CD Projekt Red will release the current-gen update for The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt -- Complete Edition this year, on December 14. This update will go live across PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC, and is free to anyone who already owns the game on previous-gen.

The current-gen version of The Witcher 3 has been in the works for quite some time, suffering multiple delays since its initial announcement in 2021. Thankfully, the game's developer will make good on its promise to launch it in 2022.