Here's how long it takes to finish The Witcher 3
Want to know how much time to set aside to beat The Witcher 3? Here's how long it took us to finish the main quest, as well as all the side quests.
Whether it’s your first time diving into The Witcher 3, or you need a little refresher on just how big the game is, finding the time you need to carve out of your schedule can be crucial. Thankfully, we have the answer, and if you’re curious as to how long The Witcher 3 takes to beat, simply read on for the explanation.
How long does it take to beat the game?
Unlike the first two games in the series, The Witcher 3 jumps to a fully open-world setting, with side quests, mini-games, and a map littered with question marks to explore. It’s daunting at first, but quickly you’ll settle into a rhythm as you explore the world and get swept up into Geralt of Rivia’s latest adventure.
If you’re looking to simply beat the main story and ignore everything else on the map, you’re still looking at a hefty amount of time with it roughly clocking in around the 50-hour mark. Certain quests will send you down different paths which could alternate this, but most players will roll credits by that time.
For those eager to take on all the side quests, this will instantly bloat your game time and double its length, putting The Witcher 3 in at around 100 hours. But of course, it’s not just side quests you have to contend with, as plenty of other side objectives and diversions are sprinkled throughout to distract you.
Anyone looking to commit to a full completionist run, which includes competing against all Gwent opponents, ticking off every question mark on the map, and collecting all armour sets, then you can expect to increase your playtime to a whopping 170+ hours!
If all this isn’t enough goodness for The Witcher 3 fans out there, then there are multiple free DLC quests that add a couple of extra hours, along with two substantial expansions to sink your teeth into. Both will provide hours of more content for you to engage with and continue your adventure after the credits roll.
How long would it take to beat The Witcher 3 Expansions?
The first major expansion is Hearts of Stone, which clocks in at around 10 hours to see the main quest line complete. Adding in side quests bumps it up to 15 hours, whereas going for 100% completion could see around the 20-hour mark.
Blood and Wine, the second and much bigger expansion comes in with a 15-hour main quest line. However, a large chunk of its content takes place in the side quests, roughly taking 30 hours to complete them all.
For completionists out there, Blood and Wine introduced a new area to explore in The Witcher 3, meaning a full play-through could take around 45 hours.
The free next-gen update of The Witcher 3 is also expected to come with some additional quests. While we’re not expecting these to add hours upon hours of content, you can probably expect a couple of hours here and there added onto the totals with their introduction.
For more in the universe, check out everything you need to know about The Witcher 4.
About The Author
Daniel Hollis
Daniel is a former Guides Writer for GGRecon. Having originally focused on film journalism, he eventually made the jump to writing about games in 2020, writing for sites such as NME. Eurogamer, GamesRadar, Tech Radar, and more. After a short stint in PR, he is back in the world of games media writing about his favourite games, including Bioshock, Fable, or everything Fortnite and Xbox Game Pass related.
