The Witcher franchise stands as a prime example of Hollywood-style transmedia done right. It takes multiple storylines set in a compelling world and breaks them up across a variety of platforms — books, mainline RPGs, spinoffs, and more recently, a card game: GWENT: The Witcher Card Game.
GWENT was in beta for some time before it finally released late last year with a host of improvements based on feedback received during its testing period.
Now, not long after that launch, GWENT is getting its first expansion, dubbed Crimson Curse. The premise behind the newest step forward in GWENT is based on Dettlaff van der Eretein from The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt — Blood and Wine DLC.
With a mysterious blood-red moon rising over the land, and its sinister light calling van der Eretain’s kin to life, a new hero is needed to come forward and banish the darkness.
Crimson Curse introduces a wide variety of weapons players can use to engage in combat, along with over 100 new cards that span all of GWENT‘s playable factions, many of which will likely be familiar to those who’ve played The Witcher games.
Like all of GWENT‘s cards, each new card will come with two presentations, standard and animated variants.
Some of the new mechanics appearing in the game via these cards are Poison, Bleed, Vitality, and Shield. Poison and Bleed are status afflictions that sap the enemy’s health, while Vitality and Shield give players a chance to block incoming attacks.
The update will also introduce Deathblow and Berserker as two features that could potentially turn the tide of battle when players need it most.
The official GWENT website gives a preview of some of the upcoming cards, with a promise of updating prior to the expansion’s release. This week’s set includes Harmony, Bloodthirst, and Plumard, along with short descriptions of their abilities.
GWENT requires strategy to play effectively, though, and if you’re new to the game, you can check out our beginner’s guides here.
Crimson Curse will be available on PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One on March 28.
