Quick, the world is in peril, your adopted daughter is under threat, and nearby villagers are being terrorised by monsters. What do you do? Oh, you’re sitting down at a cosy table in the local tavern. You’re playing a card game with a dude called “Aldert”. The wind outside is howling, and so are the nightwraiths, but you’re just sitting there. Playing another “cow” card. Okay.
Guess you’ll be happy to learn that the Witcher 4 developers have more or less confirmed that Gwent will be making a return in the recently trailered Ciri-led sequel.
As spotted by PC Gamer, two developers at CD Projekt Red responded to a recent interview question about the in-universe card game with some confidence, saying: “I don’t think anyone will be disappointed.”
“We really love the game,” said executive producer Gosia Mitręga in the interview with Easy Allies. “And we also really carefully always listen to the community, which we love… But I don’t think anyone will be disappointed.”
“Yeah for sure,” added game director Sebastian Kalemba. “It’s a part of the experience, so absolutely. We also love Gwent.”
It was perhaps a no-brainer that the card game be revived for the sequel, considering it was popular enough to spawn a free-to-play multiplayer spin-off and a standalone singleplayer adventure, Thronebreaker: The Witcher Tales. Both of which, as card games, were pretty solid.
Gwent as it originally appeared in the Witcher 3 was inspired by physical card game Condottiere, with a few differences in both visuals and rules to make it fit into the world of the cat-eyed freelancers and sneaky bog witches. The multiplayer version, meanwhile, has mutated from its original design throughout the years, to the extent that any time I’ve booted it up I find have no idea how best to use my cards anymore. I’m interested to see exactly what form it’ll take in the Witcher 4, and if my wintry tactic of covering the board in frost will once again be viable.