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Anna_Zielinska

Black Friday Deals -50%

Anna_Zielinska

CD PROJEKT RED
#1
Nov 27, 2020


Black Friday is here and Shupe has some smash smash deals for you! Until Monday you can get all the Expansion Kegs and Meteorite powder at a 50% discount. The Expansion Kegs will disappear from the shop at the end of this sale, so grab some while you can!
 
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SlamaTwoFlags

My take on the problem with Nilfgaard

SlamaTwoFlags

CD PROJEKT RED
#2
Nov 27, 2020
While I can't 100% confirm, looking at current plan for balance patch with 8.0, we will likely buff 6 NG bronzes and 4 golds. I think this will be a big step in a better direction.
 
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Anna_Zielinska

GWENT for Steam Awards 2020

Anna_Zielinska

CD PROJEKT RED
#1
Nov 25, 2020


If you feel dazzled by GWENT's artistic style, please support us with a vote in the annual Steam Awards for "Outstanding Visual Style". Link to the event: https://store.steampowered.com/steamawards/nominations
 
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Dominika

World Masters Challenge: Season 2

Dominika

CD PROJEKT RED
#1
Nov 24, 2020


Can you predict the future?

Prove it by picking the correct winners and earn fabulous rewards in the official GWENT World Masters Divination Challenge!

Find out more: https://masters.playgwent.com/en/divination-challenge

PS Don't forget, the World Masters tournament is coming December 5-6th!
 
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Anna_Zielinska

GWENT joins the Cyberpunk 2077 release party!

Anna_Zielinska

CD PROJEKT RED
#1
Nov 19, 2020


Celebrate the release of Cyberpunk 2077 with some themed goodies!

As mentioned in today's Night City Wire, by owning both GWENT and Cyberpunk 2077, players will be able to obtain a special cardback, coin and title in GWENT, and a Shupe Plushy together with a Wolf School T-shirt in Cyberpunk 2077. Further details coming on release!
 
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Anna_Zielinska

Leader Ability play rates and win rates in Season of the Cat

Anna_Zielinska

CD PROJEKT RED
#1
Nov 18, 2020
Hello!

Here are the Leader Ability play rates and win rates! As always we have the data sorted by rank (see image below).

Season_Of_cat_data.png


You can also download the data in .xlsx format here.
 
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Anna_Zielinska

Draft Mode Patchnotes 7.4.1

Anna_Zielinska

CD PROJEKT RED
#1
Nov 17, 2020


Last patch we have released into the wild the new Draft Mode and were happy to see how much interest and excitement it was met with by the community. Quickly the forums started filling up with stories about wacky decks, but some of them seemed... too wacky. One short investigation later, it turned out that there were some issues with the configuration of packs, which led for example to packages that should have been disabled being offered in draft anyway. This has been fixed, and should make the experience more balanced, yet still keeping it fun and open for experiments.

Unlike with Arena, that once released was essentially left untouched, we intend to make the Draft Mode an ever evolving format, that will be able to keep players entertained and engaged. In short, that means that we plan to make regular updates and balancing changes to Draft Mode, like we do with Ranked Play Mode.

That said, let me introduce the first Draft Mode Patchnotes!


New arrivals:
New Card added , the great sorcerer himself - Alzur!

Mages package is now a default Tribal package.

Alzur is added as a Core Card. Choosing him increases chances of getting Tribal - Mages package and Special packages.

Triss: Telekinesis is added to the Tribal - Mages package

New Witcher Trio Wombo Combo package is added:
  • Vesemir: Mentor
  • Lambert: Swordmaster
  • Eskel: Pathfinder


Departures:
Elves is no longer a default Tribal package.

Tourney Shaelmaar is removed from Mechanical - Create package.

Ge'els is removed from the Tribal - Wild Hunt package.

Sewer Raiders are removed from the Value - Hoard package.

Triss: Telekinesis removed from the Core Cards


Shuffling and balancing:
Prize-Winning Cow is replaced with Operator in the Tribal - Beast package.

The triple Drummond Queensguard package will now include two Drummond Queensguaurd and Cerys An Craite.

Odds of getting more deathwish cards in Mechanical - Deathwish package increased.

Chances of getting Vandergrift in Defence - Shield package are decreased.

Generally reduced odds of seeing the same exact thinning package twice.

The following Core cards and leader abilities now boost chances of getting Tribal - Mage package:
  • Artorius Vigo
  • Xarthisius
  • Stockpile
Bronzes that come with Cave Troll have been adapted to the following Ogroids:
  • Nekker Warrior
  • Ice Troll
  • Ice Giant
  • Nekker
  • Cyclops
 
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RyanSchou

Way of the Witcher revealed!

RyanSchou

CD PROJEKT RED
#1
Nov 17, 2020


Way of the Witcher is the brand new expansion coming to GWENT on December 8th! It is full of monster slaying Witchers, their powerful creator named Alzur and of course, terrifying monsters...

70 new cards across all factions and a brand new keyword are included!

Take a look for yourself:

Make sure to check out the available pre-order bundles which include items such as the premium version of the Alzur card, a shapeshifting card back and Alzur's Laboratory game board. You can use them right after your purchase!



Introducing the “Way of the Witcher Combo Offer” one of the three pre-order options which includes all the new available goodies! Cosmetics can be used straight after your purchase!

Find out more about the expansion and pre-order right here: Way of the Witcher
 
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Vattier

The full story of the second Journey

Vattier

CD PROJEKT RED
#2
Nov 13, 2020
And as a bonus, we have some brand new mobile wallpapers!

 
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RyanSchou

The full story of the second Journey

RyanSchou

CD PROJEKT RED
#1
Nov 13, 2020

Chapter 1.
Wait, I forgot about the mugs! Let me just grab them from the saddle.

Okay, back to the fire. Now, where do I start? There was so much of it, uncle Vesemir. It’s just hard to recall the first thing⁠—oh! I got it! It’s not from our training or theory lessons though ...

Do you remember the fairy tale about the tabby cat and the red fox? The one where hunters wanted to tear their fur off? Make them into muffs? Of course you remember. How many times have you told it as a bedtime story to the kids of Kaer Morhen? Dozens? Hundreds? Even to Geralt, right? I just can’t seem to imagine him as a child. Was he ever, really?

Okay, I know. He had to be.

Anyway, it was Geralt, who told me this fairy tale when I was just little. Ugh, I didn't like it when others would call me "little" back then, and now here I am doing it myself. Well, that’s the truth: I was little. And lost. And all alone. I had fled from King Ervyll’s men and his nasty son, Kistrin, whom I really, really didn’t want to marry. I mean, his breath alone—eugh! Anyway … that’s how I ended up lost in Brokilon forest. And that’s where I’d have died, if it wasn’t for Geralt. If he hadn’t shown up out of nowhere and killed this overgrown centipede … Oh, I know, I know! Not a centipede, but a yghern, also known as the scolopendromorph. However, you must admit, even in the engravings it looks just like an overgrown centipede.

So Geralt rescued me from the yghern, and later, when I was lying on the forest floor with the stars blinking at us through the crowns of trees, unable to fall asleep, he told me your bedtime story. About the cat and fox hunted down by humans. In a way, despite not having met yet, it was the first lesson you gave me. It’s pretty good, by the way. While escaping, it's usually better to act like a cat rather than try to be clever like a fox. Just quickly, react without a second thought, without trying some thousand two hundred and eighty-six plots to outsmart the hunter. Do one: hop up the tree. Run away. Don’t look back.

Otherwise you end up as a piece of decorative fur. Like this red muff.
Chapter 2.
Who shall we toast to? Geralt? Cheers!

Whew, that’s strong. Waters of Brokilon strong, heh.

You see, uncle Vesemir ... Already then, which feels like an eternity ago, I realized that I was meant for him. When he was telling the story of the cat and fox, I felt it clearly⁠—this power binding us together even more than the strongest of blood ties. But he turned out to be too stubborn to believe it back then. Dumber than a child lost in the wilderness, you understand? Of course you do. I’ve heard you tell him how stupid he was yourself.

Indeed, uncle.

But back to your first lesson. The fairy tale.

You also used it as a bedtime story for me once. I woke up in the middle of the night, unable to sleep through those nightmares of mine. All alone in the dark ... Suddenly, I heard your voice, so warm and caring. The fear vanished at once, disappearing without a trace. You were telling the story differently from Geralt⁠ though—in more detail, yet not at all boring. That's why I never said anything. Sorry to admit, but in the end, this particular teaching turned against the teacher himself.

Yes, you heard me right. Against you.

I was a bit⁠—or even a very—unruly child, but we both know you liked it. Although in this case I probably drove you crazy. Just a little.

It was when the monster from Brokilon had already become a vague memory, the ugly prince Kistrin completely forgotten, and when Cintra ... Cintra utterly ceased to be. The Witchers' Keep became my home. And you, the big bad Wolves themselves, were my family. Yes, indeed, you know that very well. I guess I’m stalling, sorry.

Erm, so ... do you remember that time I slipped away? No, not the first. Nor second.

I’d already grown very fond of the place by this time. Sure, it wasn’t much⁠—a bed, a trunk, and that huge, filthy rat I killed and kept as a trophy⁠—but I’d never felt more at home. It was far from the comforts of my chambers in Cintra, sure, but given a choice ... I’d have chosen Kaer Morhen every time.

So, why run away then, you ask?

I will tell you in a moment. But first, let's pour some more of that brew.
Chapter 3.
I won’t lie to you, uncle Vesemir. Fear overtook me upon seeing Kaer Morhen for the first time. I was scared as hell.

When Geralt found me after Cintra's fall⁠—this time to finally take me with him⁠—I thought I would never feel fear again. That the worst was over ... But, instead of a home, I was in this dark, ruined castle, full of rats and nightmarish echoes. I saw menacing black figures. I saw evil, incredibly shiny eyes staring at me. Glowing in the dark. Suddenly, I heard your voice for the first time, warm and caring, and just like that, the fear had been vanquished. Black silhouettes became friends. Protectors. Glossy eyes expressed curiosity.

In fact, you all cared. Very much so.

But some things ... Only you were able to take care of. For instance, the leather jerkin you made for me. It was a little bit crooked ... Well, okay. Very crooked. Truth be told, it looked like the nightmare of any self-respecting tailor. But I still liked it, just as I liked the sword you forged me. Nobody in the keep—absolutely nobody!—forgot about my training. Not once. But only you remembered that a child, even one with my talents, needs proper clothing and a sword befitting her size. You really tried your best, and I appreciated it.

Maybe even too much?

If I hadn’t wanted to repay you so eagerly, maybe I’d have stayed on the Trail. Not run into the woods instead of sticking to my training. I just thought I'd be able to get back to the stronghold before anyone noticed my disappearance. You see, I'd heard a couple of times how much you wouldn’t mind eating some venison. Sometimes you even mumbled under your breath: if only one of you younger witchers could kindly go hunting, we could have a feast. But nooo… It’s just beans and beans, over and over again.

Well, I was young. And a witcher. Kind of. So I thought it would be a splendid idea to fulfill your wish. There was only one small concern ... that you may not quite acknowledge the accuracy of my reasoning, or worse⁠—you’d have me polishing swords for the whole day, after hearing it. Because you cared, of course. About me and the swords. That's why I decided it would be better to surprise you. With a delicious boar.

And I knew exactly where to find one …
Chapter 4.
No, not at all.

I didn't go for this boar completely unprepared. I made snares ... All right. I admit. It was no Talgar Winter or even a Wolf Pit. Just a simple trap.

But it worked!

Well, okay. It almost worked. It sprung. Snap! Crash! However, the boar could somehow still move. Then … the huge beast charged.

Charged straight at me.

Still, I didn't run away, uncle Vesemir. I bravely raised my sword, which you fitted so well to my hand. And then I boldly repeated everything that you all taught me during my training. Lunge, attack, retreat! Half-pirouette, blow, rebound! I balanced with one arm, cutting with the other, jumping over a slippery forest floor with roots reaching out from under the leaves.

The boar didn’t give a damn about my pirouettes. Someone could even say that he reacted with admirable resistance. I stabbed his hairy rear at least once, but he didn't even grunt. Then, suddenly, he lifted his head⁠, kicked up dirt, and pivoted, charging straight at me again.

I stood my ground, ready to fight. You’d have been proud to see it.

Attack, bounce! Riposte! Half-pirouette! Riposte, full pirouette! Half-pirouette! Jump and cut!

But the damned swine didn’t even blink. He looked me straight in the eye. Tenacious. What was I to do? My blows seemed ineffective. Pointless even. Like stabbing a sack of millet or a wooden log.

But no! One must remain calm⁠—breathe⁠—keep going. You taught me that. Stay focused, wait until the last possible moment to evade. Steady … Steady … Pirouette!

Unfortunately, that particular pirouette didn’t work very well. And by this I mean: not at all. He hit me sideways⁠—thwack!—and I flew a good twenty feet into the air. I thumped my back against one of the trees and the sword flew from my hand. For a moment, Brokilon flashed before my eyes, together with the stars. The water rustled in my head.

And one thought: Escape! Run away like the cat from your story. Hop up the tree. Don’t look back.

The boar was in no hurry. At first, he sniffed the sword lying in the dirt. Then he slowly raised his big bulky head towards me⁠—a small girl huddled in a tangle of branches. My ribs burned cruelly, every breath spreading through my body with dull pulsating pain.

He stood sentinel, this tenacious boar. Staring. Waiting calmly under the tree.

I don't know how much time passed before he got bored. But it was enough for you to notice my absence.
Chapter 5
As I waited for our would-be dinner to go away, I recalled the words of a nursery rhyme. You recited it in my mind:

“How doth the little wild boar

Improve his shining tusks,

And rut them 'gainst the forest floor,

And on the trees' rough husks!

How cheerfully he seems to grin

How neatly spreads his claws,

And welcomes little lasses in,

With gently smiling jaws!”

Louis of Charolleis’ poem is another of many things I know thanks to you, uncle. Unfortunately, it turned out to be of little use in this situation.

Annoying, really.

Huddled in the large oak tree, I couldn't keep your voice and rhymes out of my head. I had a hard time gathering my thoughts⁠—to come up with some plan. The sight of my muddied sword, trampled on by the boar’s hooves, didn’t help my concentration. It frustrated me. What you would say, seeing the blade in such a state... I couldn’t bear the thought! So, when I was sure the beast was gone for good, all that was left on my mind was the desire to get my weapon back.

I slowly slipped off the tree and took a few careful steps. My ribs still stung with each breath, and my heart thrashed like a bell.

Suddenly, I heard your voice.

No, not in my head, but for real. Getting closer. You screamed my name, but instead of joy it filled me with panic. I quickly plunged my hand into the undergrowth and grabbed the sword. Its blade shimmering beneath the filth. Then more shouting—my name ringing out all around. Shadows moved among the trees. From the darkness came louder and louder: Ciri! Cirilla!

Cirilla Fiona Elen Riannon. Princess of Cintra...

Suddenly, the nightmares came back, even though I was awake. There was a wall of fire before me. I saw a frightening black knight with a winged helmet. I heard the screams of Cintrians being slaughtered.

There was no “hop” this time.

Just like that, on an impulse, I appeared in the crown of some random pine tree. And then I fell. But just before I hit the ground, it happened again. Another pine tree. This time, I grabbed onto a branch before I plummeted like a stone. Miraculously, I somehow kept hold of my sword. Then I watched in amazement as you traced my footsteps all the way to the large oak tree. How you scratched your head when my trail just... disappeared.

Back then, I didn't know what happened, but I think it was probably the first time I teleported.
Chapter 6
How come you didn’t hear about this before? Well, Geralt helped me. Although you were all looking, it was he who finally found me. As always. Destiny, huh?

I know, I know, it's getting old. Just destiny and destiny, over and over again.

And beans, ha!

In any case, I was so confused as I watched you from atop the tree I should never have been in. The world seemed unreal. Time passed at a strange, altered pace. I don't think I prophesied on this occasion, or you surely would have heard me.

But I had a vision...

A cat ran away with a skulk of foxes. She jumped, hop-hop, from tree to tree. The foxes raced down below. And hunters swarmed from behind. Blacks, reds, hounds, and even one really scary lion.

Needless to say, the foxes were turned into bloody muffs, while the cat ran and ran and ran away. It seemed she would never stop...

My eyes snapped open.

Geralt was leaning over me with a stern face, but the faintest of smiles betrayed his facade. He was angry with me, sure, but I was safe and that was most important to him.

Of course, I started talking pretty quickly. About leaving the Trail, about this grand plan of mine, about the trap that didn’t quite work, and the stubborn boar that refused to yield. I just didn't mention the strange jumps, or talk about the vision. I was afraid⁠—wanted to pretend it hadn’t happened. I thought, instead of dwelling on such things, why not convince him of my original plan? After all, working together as a team, well... that boar wouldn’t stand a chance!

Geralt disagreed. He said I had probably come across the Old Wild—the caring spirit of the forest. So… no boar. But we didn’t leave empty-handed.

While returning to Kaer Morhen, we managed to hunt a hare along the way. It was small, skinny, and stringy, but the soup came out surprisingly tasty. You remember? No, of course not... You didn't even notice the hare when we came back. You didn't care about fatigue or hunger. You were more interested in me⁠—the fear that echoed in my voice and the bruising on my ribs. You immediately took care of my wounds and started brewing some healing potions.

You never touched the hare soup. Not even a taste. Instead, you made me eat it all to regain my strength.
Chapter 7
Fairy tales and nursery rhymes. All these fat volumes read together. Fencing lessons… Anything else? Hmm, maybe for a change something you didn't teach me?

A lot of things. Right. But this is quite a crucial one.

Contrary to appearances, neither you nor Geralt showed me how to kill. How to defend myself, yes. To survive, sure. To not give up… But not how to take someone's life in cold blood.

Because to fight is not the same as to kill. You know that well enough.

So you taught me how to swing a sword and to pirouette. How to dodge and block. Well, even how to attack! How to cut through a leather bag. A straw mannequin. An overgrown rodent. But not how to kill another human...

That I had to learn myself. Much later.

By the time of my first, I had long left Kaer Morhen⁠. I had attained some basic education at the Temple of Melitele, where I received magical training under the supervision of Yennefer. But, once again, just as I started to warm to my new surroundings, I was whisked away to someplace else. This time, I found myself on the island of Thanedd.

During the coup.

I won’t recount the whole incident for you, uncle⁠. You already know the events well enough.

But it was terrible. One moment I was asleep in bed, the next I was kneeling among dead bodies. Suddenly, Thanedd became a second Cintra. People screamed, fought desperately, and died brutally before my eyes. Whether by sword or sorcery, death is ugly. So I ran from it. Especially as those I loved had disappeared. Left me to be hunted—again. And in the chaos, in this mad dash for my life, I found myself in Tor Lara. At the portal. It attracted me, summoned me, even whispered... And there was no other escape, only this shining oval. So, I closed my eyes and stepped into it. Then there was a blinding brightness and a furious whirlpool; a breathless blast that crushed my ribs and sucked the air from my lungs.

I ended up completely alone. In the middle of nowhere. The warped portal had spat me out in some random desert, where I was certain I would die. But I didn’t. I found my way out—you know I somehow always do. Unfortunately, I ran straight into the hands of mercenary bandits…

It seemed no matter how far I ran, trouble would always find me. Capture looked to be my fate once more. And as we both know by now⁠, it’s pretty hard to outrun destiny. But it was not to be. Thanks to the help of a skulk of foxes, I managed to escape.

I had always wondered when the foxes of my visions would show up, who they’d be, what they’d be like… As it happens, they turned out to be a rather violent hanza.

Yes, uncle. I want to tell you about a past that I'm not proud of at all. About deeds I have never fully forgiven myself for. About the time when I became a common bandit.

A Rat.
Chapter 8
So, how did I join the hanza? Well, while the mercenaries who had captured me were feasting with another gang, the Rats attacked the inn. They did so because that other gang had imprisoned one of their companions⁠—had him tied up next to me.

Anyway, considering the circumstances, the Rats seemed like the best of two bad options, so I helped them⁠—to help myself.

Another fight broke out, as if the one on Thanedd wasn't enough already. Along with the Rats, I ended up running away again.

That's when... I...

I was racing through the village away from that damned inn, trying to escape the chaos.

Trying to avoid being captured at all costs.

Suddenly, one of the settlers emerged from a pigsty. He attacked me with a spear.

What happened next haunted my dreams for a long time. I remember everything. Every move. The instinctual half-turn that saved me from the spearhead, the settler that didn’t have time to block my riposte⁠—my cut was simply too fast.

For a moment, I saw his mouth open, ready to scream. I saw an elongated bald forehead, pale above the line where a hat must have protected it from the sun. Now that paleness was spattered red. He howled and wheezed, fell and convulsed among the straw and dung. Blood spurted from him like a stuck pig, and my stomach rolled up into my throat.

I tried to justify what happened. Explained to myself that it was the fault of my training. Pure muscle memory. That I didn't want to take anyone's life. It was only self-defence.

And that was the truth... at least that first time.

Later, when I had officially joined the Rats, that changed. I changed. I started killing for reasons not worth killing for. Certainly not worth dying over.


But this didn’t happen right away.

You could say I stalled for a long time. Pretended to be a killer in front of the others. During subsequent skirmishes and attacks, I used ferocious-looking blows during combat. Made them look deadly. But in reality, they were only meant to incapacitate. To overwhelm the opponent before death was necessary. Like that time with the bailiff transport...

We caught them near a fallen bridge. The Rats had killed the entire convoy, except for one soldier. The one that started to run away, but upon seeing me… turned his horse and rushed to attack… missing the mark. Even though he blocked, expecting a counter, I got him. A cut straight to the mouth. Not fatal, but nasty, just like the one that would eventually disfigure my face...

I wonder if he lived to tell someone his story?

I really hope so.
Chapter 9
As you can see, uncle, people were eagerly jumping onto my sword. Maybe because I was the youngest Rat. Or I just looked the least threatening. Whatever the reason, death was a constant presence. Following my every step. Ahead of me. Surrounding me. Always in my hand.

I often thought about Kaer Morhen, especially at night. The home I wanted to return to with all my heart. But I was scared. I had lost so much on Thanedd, uncle. Or so I believed back then. I felt powerless.

I didn’t want to forfeit what little I had left. End up all alone.

But I could hope… I suspected you might still be there. I dreamed of returning to the stronghold—seeing your warm smile upon my arrival. I charted maps and trails in my mind, wishing to make it so. But you know how it is. In times of war, loneliness on the road means a swift and brutal death.

And I didn’t want to die. So I clung to my colourful gang. Hid within their ranks like a real rat. Just… went through the motions to get by.

Until the night we attacked the village of New Forge.

We snuck in with a single purpose: set fire to the mayor’s house. Burn it to the ground. You see, he was the fool who gave our companion to the mercenaries—the ones from the tavern. And we needed people to know that punishment for such an offence was inevitable. The penalty…? Death, of course.

But you must understand, uncle, it wasn’t all villainy. The Rats’ reputation was just as good as bad. For we—the children of contempt—shared most of our spoils. We distributed cattle, grain, and cloths from the Nilfgaardians to the villages. Helped people. We paid handfuls of gold and silver to tailors and craftsmen for what we cherished above all else—weapons, clothing, and ornaments. And in return for our generosity, they fed us. Hosted us. Hid us. And even when smitten to a bloodied pulp, they didn’t reveal our hideouts. They were loyal.


Eventually, the prefects placed a hefty reward on our heads.

Those with more greed than sense started to go fishing for Nilfgaardian gold. Just like the mayor of New Forge, who was blinded by his lust for coin, sealing his fate and condemning his own village to ruin in the process.

But what happened that night… amid the flames and chaos… snapped me back to reality. Made me realise what was truly important. Convinced me that I had to leave the Rats as soon as possible.

If I could.
Chapter 10
When we handed out gold, we were loud and flamboyant. Made a real show of it. But when we attacked, we did so like rats, or rather… like foxes. Quietly, treacherous, cunning.

That night, the first sound to break the silence was the crackle of flames. Then it all got so loud. Screams of people fleeing the fire, shouting and wailing. Our mounts, accustomed to such noises, barely reacted to the commotion. The first survivors ran out of a smoking hut. Servants, by the look of their garb. We unsheathed our blades. Whoever the fire couldn’t fry, we were to finish off with our own hands.

Suddenly, a ruckus broke out at the back of the house. Riders spilled from a hidden stable. Among them was the mayor, wearing nothing but his pants. His fat, naked belly bouncing as he rode. Since the servants didn’t really matter to us, we chased down our main target, along with his kin. There were many of them—the mayor apparently lived with his entire family, even his fifth cousin on the distaff side, no doubt. Each Rat had more than enough targets.

I had two.

One on a big strong gelding, the other on a slender filly. The larger rider sat firmly in the saddle, the smaller one could barely hold on to the mount. I galloped after them, swallowing acrid air. They were within arm’s reach when the wind blew their hoods down. They glanced at me, their flowing hair red in the glow of the fire. Smoke wafted from the flames, and I choked. Coughed wildly until tears welled up in my eyes. I wiped them away to get a better look. I wasn’t sure if I’d just imagined it⁠—or if it was a trick of the light—because… the bigger one, uncle… he looked just like you. And the smaller one was around my age. A kid, really.

I blocked their path, swinging my sword.

The older one took up the fight. And although he looked like you, he definitely didn’t have your fencing skills. I bested him quickly, with little effort. I threw him from the saddle, pushed him to the ground, then instinctively asked: who are you? As if it mattered. The man began spewing out words chaotically, writhing like an eagle owl caught in a net. The kid clumsily slipped off his horse and clung to his chaperone, even though the old man told him to run away. But the little snot didn’t want to leave his guardian.

Then it hit me.

Mentor and student. Like you and me.

The boy had to be the mayor’s child—had the same chubby face. But his look… his expression… reminded me of… me. Stubbornness, fear, pain. It was all painted across his young face. It mirrored my own from a time not so long ago. Because that night I had a different face. The face of a hunter. Just like those who had chased me long ago.

Now I was the pursuer. I hurt, I stole, I killed...

The sword fell from my numb fingers. My lips barely moved as I spoke the words: Go away… Run. Fuck off already!

The elder asked no questions, didn’t attempt to make sense of my sudden change of heart. He quickly grabbed the kid’s hand and stuffed him into the saddle. Immediately after that, he jumped on his mount and urged both horses to a trot.

Motionless, I watched as they galloped away.

Behind me came the tortured howls of the boy’s family.
Chapter 11
So, I decided to leave.

The next night, I collected what few belongings I had and slipped out of camp. I might die a lonely death on the road, but I had to take that chance. I wanted to return to Kaer Morhen. To find you, if not Geralt or Yennefer...


The leader of the gang stood in my way: Giselher.

He said he knew what I did. That I let the kid go free. And he didn’t even blame me for that, but the kid’s mentor... he should have died. No adult should be spared. Otherwise, rumours will spread that the Rats can be crossed and afterwards, they will just smack your bottom and send you on your merry way. No, the punishment must be more severe. All traitors must pay with their blood. That was the code⁠—and the reason Giselher stood before me, sword raised.

But I wasn’t a traitor. Not yet, at least.

The threat flashed in his eyes: return to camp or betray us. Live or die⁠—what’s it to be? Because if I didn’t retreat, a Rat would die that night. That was just the way of it. And if there was even the slightest chance it would be me, I might have raised my sword. Took up the fight. But he would lose for sure, uncle⁠—I was far more skilled. And I couldn’t use my magic because back then I thought I’d lost it for good. I couldn’t simply jump behind his back and disappear into the night without a trace.

No, I had to make a choice: kill a Rat… or stay as one.

You see, uncle... Giselher had always treated me well. He never tried to hurt or take advantage of me. He shared his spoils. Supported us. Took care of our ragtag band of outcasts. The rest of the world could burn to cinders for all he cared, but not us… not his Rats.

I didn’t raise my sword. I feigned a laugh—an artificial peace-maker. Told him to stop being so dramatic. Can’t a girl go for a midnight stroll? Was that not allowed?

Giselher smiled crookedly. Then invited himself along on my improvised walk.

He never mentioned the kid and his mentor after that, though I assured him I’d kill the old man the first chance I got. Fortunately, I never got that chance, even though I spent many more moons in the Rats’ company.

Weeks passed. Months. More banditry and bloodshed. Until the day came when I finally left them...


That was the day the Rats all died, uncle—the whole hanza. Even when I chose not to kill, death followed me every step of the way.

They were slaughtered by the lion from my vision: Leo Bonhart. A bounty hunter. A hired killer who took pleasure in doling out pain, who had his eye on me above all others. He was the scariest man I had ever met in my life. He turned my band, my little foxes, into... into trophies.

And I...


I need a short break, uncle. How about another drink, eh?

Last one, I promise.
Chapter 12
I killed him, uncle... Bonhart, I mean.

Finally, after so much time had passed. After enduring pain, loss, humiliation. After running so far. To other worlds, even. Other times. And it seemed like I would never stop. Death behind me, in front of me, always in my hand. But you can’t outrun destiny, not for long.

Fighting that son of a bitch... it was quite something, uncle. If you saw how I dealt with him, you would be so proud of me.

But that is a story for another time.

The fire is dying. My cup is empty, yours... quite full. And I would like to tell you about the final lesson you gave me.

Someday you have to stop running away. Even if your loved ones shout the opposite.

My grandmother, Geralt, Yen... you. You all told me to run away. So I ran away. I ran from Cintra and Brokilon, from Thanedd and Tir ná Lia. I ran from hunters and assassins, elves and humans, blacks and reds. I didn’t want to endanger my loved ones, so I escaped to other worlds. I thought you’d all finally be safe if I left you alone. But you still searched for me. Relentlessly. Because that’s how love works. Because when you love someone, you tell them to flee. You gladly face the danger alone, knowing that they are safe.

But it was my fight as well, uncle. Not just yours.

In my darkest moments, it was the memory of your care that helped me keep my humanity. But there is so much darkness in this world. You could never have kept me from it⁠—it never works out that way. Evil will always catch up with you. Death will eventually overtake you, surround you. Until you face it. Together with your loved ones... and for your loved ones.

It took me a long time to comprehend. And so much blood had to flow before I did. Your blood too, uncle. I had to lose you to understand.

Because that’s when I finally decided to stop running. A year ago.

When you died.


When I was still a child⁠—a little witcher in a ruined castle full of rats and scary echoes⁠—you said you would not live forever. That you would soon rest in a shallow grave. But no one really believed you. Took it to heart.

You were eternal to us. Indestructible.


Taught us all so much.

That’s why I’m here, on the anniversary of your death, paying you tribute by these fading embers, in the shadow of the ruins of your beloved Keep.

Because even though you are not here in body, you will always be here in spirit, living on through the wisdom you shared and the love you gave.

Eternal, after all...

Farewell, Vesemir, last master of Kaer Morhen.

My mentor.

Goodbye, old friend...

I will never stop missing you.
 
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Burza46

New Journey Starts Today!

Burza46

CD PROJEKT RED
#1
Nov 3, 2020


Alzur and Snowdrop are here! Get ready for a brand new Journey filled with remarkable rewards!

Learn more on the dedicated Journey page!
 
Last edited: Nov 3, 2020
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Burza46

Season of Mahakam and Update 7.4 packed with new features are here!

Burza46

CD PROJEKT RED
#1
Nov 3, 2020


We’ve just launched update 7.4 on iOS, Android and PC (GOG & Steam)!

With this update we start the Season of Mahakam with it’s seasonal mode and special, sturdy-as-a-dwarf, rule set:

Seasonal mode: Entrench

Whenever you play a unit, give it resilience.

Enjoy the rowdy, stubborn playstyle of Mahakam until December 8th, 10 a.m CET!

“But wait there's more!”

Additionally, update 7.4 introduces Journey 3 as well as Draft Early Access, a successor to, now retired, Arena.

Full list of changes can be found here:

New Journey - Alzur:
  • New characters: Meet Alzur & Snowdrop - the mutagen expert and creator of the Witchers with his friendly companion Bard - you can learn more about the history of this adventuring pair in weekly story updates
  • Rewards - completely new rewards themed around our protagonists to unlock in standard and premium paths, including: customisable Alzur leader, avatars, borders, titles, and more!
  • Achievements - unlock even more vanities by playing matches with your favourite outfits!
  • New type of trinket - Unleash Alzur’s power in style with the help of his Magic Focus!
New Feature - Draft Mode:
  • Alzur’s mastery of mutation must have exerted it’s influence, as Arena transforms into Draft Mode, now available in Early Access for all players! Draft mode does not require any entry fee. You start by choosing one of the three leader abilities, and a Core Card. Decks are drafted in 3 card card packs, and each subsequent set of packs you will be presented with is connected to your previous choices.As a finishing touch you’ll choose one of three Stratagems.Play against other players with your drafted deck, for a maximum run of 7 matches. Unhappy with your deck? No problem! You can drop the run and redraft it at any time.Claim victory over your opponents, and see your progress tracked on the stone circle.With the closing of Arena you will receive 150 ore for all unfinished runs, as well as for each unused Mirror Shard. Unfinished contracts related to Arena will be hidden and won't affect overall contracts progression. Players who completed them earlier will be able to see them. "Refer a friend" milestone related to Arena will no longer be available.
Patch notes:
  • We’re removing iOS 12 support, to run Gwent on Apple devices iOS13 or newer version is now required.
  • Clicking on an already claimed node in Reward Book will no longer result in an audio loop.
  • XP income on the outcome screen will now animate properly.
Skellige:
  • The Blaze of Glory leader ability will now take into account a unit's current power, rather than base power, when dealing damage.
  • Warrior cards played through Cantarella or Experimental Remedy will no longer grant charges to the opponent's An Craite Blacksmith.
Nilfgaard:
  • Thirsty Dame will now be boosted by the bleeding status applied by the Blood Moon row effect.
  • Milton de Peyrac-Peyran and Palmerin de Launfal now correctly show each other in their card previews.
Monsters:
  • Yghern will now destroy itself, when its Locked status is removed while it has no Armor.
 
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RyanSchou

The epic GWENT Saovine Holiday Event has begun!

RyanSchou

CD PROJEKT RED
#1
Oct 28, 2020


The Saovine special event, which begins today and will run until November 3rd, gives you the chance to earn Treasure Chests by winning matches. Each Treasure Chest contains a unique in-game gift, such as: a cardback, border, portrait, player title, or in-game resources — Ore or Meteorite Powder.



Accompanying the festivities are a number of limited-time offers available in the in-game store. You can purchase a customizable neutral leader skin for Shupe the Troll — available as part of a bundle alongside a unique avatar and player title. Moreover, the in-game store will also feature other Saovine-themed ornaments, including a Ghost leader skin for Cleaver. All items will be available until November 3rd.
 
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Dominika

Tune in to Open #4 this weekend!

Dominika

CD PROJEKT RED
#1
Oct 20, 2020


Season 2 of the GWENT Masters series is slowly coming to an end – join us on October 24-25th (Saturday and Sunday) for the last Open tournament this year! It will be held online and streamed live on our official Twitch channel, starting as usual at 4 PM CEST.

Top 8 GWENT players of Season of the Draconid and Season of the Griffin will compete for a spot in the Grand Finale of Season 2 – the World Masters tournament, and a share of the 10 000 USD base prize pool.



Additionally, all players will receive an equal share of the community-funded prize pool, to which you can still contribute by purchasing the unique Air Bundle and Djinn Pack! Both of them will be available only until Wednesday noon (October 21st, 12 PM CEST):



See you on Twitch chat!
 
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Burza46

Leader Ability play rates and win rates in Season of the Dryad

Burza46

CD PROJEKT RED
#1
Oct 16, 2020
Hello!

Here are the Leader Ability play rates and win rates! As always we have the data sorted by rank (see image below).

Season_of_Dryad_data.png


You can also download the data in .xlsx format here.
 
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RyanSchou

GWENT Champions: Bart933

RyanSchou

CD PROJEKT RED
#1
Oct 9, 2020


by David "ImpetuousPanda" Nolskog​


​

”GWENT Champions” is a brand new series of articles that will offer a sneak peek into the life of the most accomplished GWENT players, highlighting what exactly it takes to finish a Pro Ladder season as the highest ranked player in the world. “GWENT Champions” will include a detailed look at the player’s background, an in-depth breakdown of their season success, and a glimpse into the player’s thoughts on the game and it’s future.​

This past week saw the culmination of the “Season of the Dryad”, the ninth competitive ladder season in GWENT Master’s Season 2 circuit. Although many may quickly write off the season due to the lack of consequence regarding qualification for major tournaments, there are a few key storylines that were wrapped up this season. The first, a short one, saw a nearly definitive roster of participants locked in for the World Masters Championship at the end of the year, including “kams 134”, “Saber97”, “Pajabol”, and “GraveshGravesh” joining the already cemented Open Winners in “Tailbot”, “Wangid1”, and Demarcation”, with a final spot still in the air depending on the winner of Open #4 later this month. The second story, and the focus of the article, will highlight the transformation and newly found competitive confidence of this past season’s champion, Bart933!

The Time To Shine

Bartosz “Bart933” Ułan’s story in GWENT begins like many others, his initial experience with the Witcher and then subsequently GWENT’s standalone version had him hooked, and transformed him from a shooter fanatic who craved the fast paced action of titles like Call of Duty and Battlefield into a card-slinging maestro who began to dominate the ranked ladder all the way back in the Closed Beta days. Although the twenty-one year old has been around GWENT for a while, and found great success in this newly found genre of gaming, he never truly dedicated 100% of his efforts into competing at the absolute highest level. “In Season 1, even though I was qualifying for all the official tournament qualifiers I was mostly just playing ranked and I didn’t even compete in these qualifiers, I was only spamming one or two decks on ladder and didn’t really have the urge to be competitive. Pro Ladder was essentially just a good environment for me to test my decks on, nothing more” Bart explained.

As Season 2 of GWENT Masters began, Bart was one of many polish players that could be found in the top spots of the Pro Ladder, season after season. Although for some household names like “Tailbot” and “Kams” competing in GWENT was essentially a full time endeavour, for Bart it was more of a hobby he balanced alongside his ongoing studies in Law and Administration at the University of Wroclaw. As the year 2020 slowly drifted into disarray due to an unforeseen global epidemic and the standard summer vacation months arrived, Bart suddenly found himself with an unparalleled amount of free time on his hands. As you can expect considering this article’s existence, Bart funnelled a large portion of this time into GWENT, and developed an entirely different and very intense approach when it comes to competing on Pro Ladder. During this three month period Bart elevated his playrate considerably, tallying 1,000+ games of GWENT per season, and although the results were questionable during the first two months where he only managed a “Top 20” finish, he culminated the experiment with an incredible first place finish and an impressive 10,725 MMR score, the second best in Season 2’s history behind Demarcation’s 10,751 MMR in the “Season of the Elf”.

The Famous Polish Hospitality

It’s no secret that Poland is one of the strongest countries when it comes to GWENT esports, an incredible array of superstar calibre players should be expected considering a vast portion of the player base would naturally hail from the country where CDPR and the Witcher franchise were created. Despite the fierce competition between all top competitors on the ladder, there seems to be a deep-seated camaraderie between poles, and natural friendships have been formed between them. Although the phrase “famous polish hospitality” jokingly originates from the strongest non-polish players ending their ranked season sandwiched between the top polish ladder players such as Tailbot, Pajabol or Kams, it seems a true less tongue in cheek meaning is also applicable. “Everyone knows each other from polish players, I especially talk a lot with Pajabol and Kams about the game. Before any qualifiers we also discuss what to ban and what to bring, I think the polish community is very friendly and I think there are a lot of pros to being polish, you can get a lot of advice from some of the best players in the world.” Bart explained. Bart confesses there isn’t really a central well-organized discord server of any kind exclusive only to the most competitive of polish players, but more a community-wide friendliness and openness that fosters a positive environment for growth as a competitive player.

This polish hospitality was a large reason in the creation of a mostly Polish esports and content creation team, “Team Elder Blood”, which Bart933 has represented since it’s creation, even before then on it’s precursor, MyEsports. Bart joined forces with the team’s manager “KissAndRun” alongside a few other polish competitors and content creators, and his contributions come mostly as consultations regarding the meta for the team’s meat snapshot. Team Elder Blood is also the force behind an incredibly creative and original community GWENT event, Falka’s Rebellion, which will feature a series of tournaments with unusual rulesets and restrictions starting this weekend!



Season of the Dryad

This past season of competitive GWENT was a tricky one, as the stakes involved shifted dramatically and thus the entirety of the season can be deemed “less competitive” as a result. Due to the final qualifiers being played this month, and the ladder finish requirements being taken from the “Season of the Draconid”, the final results in this past season mattered only for a select few in the running for the GWENT World Masters spot via Crown Point qualification. The start of the season also saw the introduction of new leader abilities, shifting the meta landscape considerably.

“At the start of the season I always start with the factions I’m sure will be the strongest, that way I won't waste any time. Since the Master Mirror expansion Northern realms and Skellige have clearly been the best factions, so it’s an easy decision. This season started pretty good, I finished 2,500 almost every faction after placements and only really had big problems with NR at the start, but that was mostly because I was being stubborn by continuing to play Uprising NR even after the release of the new Shield Wall leader ability which has proven to be stronger. Even though I think Uprising is better in a lot of the matchups, in the mirror it’s very binary and you almost can’t win it so I had a very hard time because Shield Wall was being played so much.It took me around eighty games to even hit 2,500 but after switching to Shield Wall it became much easier, after 150 games or so I had finished with nearly 2,700 fMMR on NR. I think a big reason why it was easier is because the season wasn’t as competitive, only a few players really cared about this season, although I did play many games against top players like Saber because we were the only two players really caring about winning the season. I also played a lot against a few more competitors such as Green-Knight, Pajabol and Kolemoen, but I guess most others were having a vacation so there was a lot of farming more “casual” players” Bart explained. As expected, many of the fiercest competitors on the Pro Ladder this season were those who still had the GWENT World Masters qualification on the line.



“With Scoia’tael I had probably the easiest time at the start, I got to 2,600 fMMR in 60 or 70 games, but after that I tanked to 2,500 and it took me like 200 more games to even climb +20 fMMR. At the start I was playing symbiosis to 2,600 and it was working out the best, but then I got baited by the guys at TLG who were saying that Symbiosis was very bad so then I started trying out different ST decks but it wasn’t working at all and I ended up wasting a lot of time tanking MMR in the middle of the season. I switched back to Symbiosis and then was able to climb the last bit of fMMR to 2,619 fMMR.” Bart recalls. During the middle of the season Bart thought that Tailbot would end up winning the season anyway, as his placement match winrate was even better than Bart’s at 75% and Tailbot historically is the player with the best winrate performance on ladder. This also coincided with Bart’s issues with Scoia’tael, and for a few days he had made no progress at all in regards to his total fMMR score. Despite this, Bart still had a lot of room for improvement for several factions, including Syndicate and Skellige.

“In the last two days of the season I was able to climb about 150 fMMR, and I was most scared about Syndicate as near the end there were a lot of opinions from other pro players that Syndicate didn’t seem too strong. I played Hidden Cache Passiflora, although I know a few other players like Green-Knight hit a pretty good score with Blood Money, but I think Hidden Cache suits my playstyle better as it incentivizes bleeding and many times I would simply 2-0 my opponent. In the end it went incredibly well, I managed to win 16 games in a row and climb from 2,550 to 2,653 and once I lost a game I switched to Skellige. When I started queuing for a match at 2,710 fMMR they were probably the longest queues I ever had, I had to wait on average around 15 minutes to find a match. It took me the whole night to play around ten games with Skellige, but I was also watching Pajabol’s stream during his final push as well so it was entertaining. In the end I managed to achieve a final score of 2,755 for Skellige, breaking the record for highest single faction score which was previously held by Wangid.” Bart retells.



Bart’s choice of factions is not too surprising, with most players deeming Northern Realms, Skellige, and Scoiatael as the strongest options, with Syndicate lagging closely behind. Bart also believes Monsters can be a competitive option, but certainly a non-devotion option with neutral removal such as Heatwave, especially considering the perplexing nerf to Auberon in the last patch. Nilfgaard lags much further behind for the majority of pro players, and this is especially the case following the recent nerf to the Masquerade Ball scenario. Bart confessed he doesn’t have any real secrets in regards to what decklists he chose to play throughout the season, and that his success comes down mostly to piloting and his very intricate knowledge of matchups and sequencing. “One of the changes I made very early was swapping out War Elephant for Falibor in NR, as I thought War Elephant could sometimes be a bit clunky and I liked Falibor in some situations. Especially against Syndicate, a lot of players would go into a long Round 3 and they could cheese a win thanks to Azar by denying a lot of value from Anseis. I think this decision was a big reason why I was able to quickly hit 2,700 fMMR with NR and a lot of players followed my decision after this.” Bart said.

The Drive To Compete

Although the Season of the Dryad has a few asterisks associated with it which Bart himself acknowledges, his breakout performance and champion calibre results have changed his mindset and proven if he gives it his all he can truly perform on par with the best players in the world. “I feel that even though this season wasn’t fully competitive and I fully agree on it, and it was probably the reason I was able to hit this number one spot on ladder, I feel I was also evolving with my gameplay skills a lot during the last three months which I had as vacations and could spend a lot more time on GWENT. Before these months I played around 500 games per month due to having to spend time on my university studies, but I was able to double that during these summer vacations and it helped me improve a lot.” Despite there still being two major tournaments to play for Season 2 of the GWENT Masters Season, the qualifications for both have pretty much been set in stone and for a grand majority of competitive players the stakes have diminished considerably. Although Season 3 hasn’t been officially confirmed, Bart aims to apply what he’s learned in the past few months and become a more consistent and focused competitive player in preparation for a possible new season in the GWENT Masters circuit. “Of course I am waiting for Season 3, I think that looking at my performance during these vacations and because I’ve played so many games, I have really improved. To become a better player I think you have to spend a lot of time on it, only a “chosen one” is able to be incredibly skilled without ever playing a lot of games” Bart laughs. “My goal now is to be more focused with the games I play and try and improve my winrate, to hit a similar score in future seasons but with a much lower amount of games. Now I feel much more confident than I used to be, a few months ago I didn't even have this competitive mindset and I was mostly just playing casually on Pro Ladder. My performance this last season improved my mindset and lot and changed my perspective on the game. I’d love to also qualify for some tournaments in the future, although hopefully once things return to normal and I can play in the standard tournament experience in CDPR’s studio.”

Although Bart’s journey at the forefront of GWENT’s competitive scene has come to a halt for now, the action is far from over for diehard GWENT esport fans around the world. As previously mentioned, Team Elder Blood’s Falka Rebellion Community Tournament will take place this weekend, with a very diverse set of rulesets and restrictions guaranteeing a truly memorable and unique GWENT experience. GWENT Open #4 is also just around the corner, with the last GWENT World Masters spot at stake and an incredible and varied list of participants, including tournament veterans Demarcation, Kolemoen, and Wangid; returning players Magpie and Wlastelin; and much anticipated tournament debuts from Pajabol, Gravesh and LeGooha. Don’t miss out on the action, GWENT Open #4 will take place on October 24th-25th and can be viewed on CDPR’s Twitch Channel.

 
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RyanSchou

Transforming Gwent’s Arena mode into a new Draft mode

RyanSchou

CD PROJEKT RED
#1
Oct 6, 2020


As we wrote in our previous announcement, Arena will soon be transforming itself into Draft. Based on your feedback from the initial announcement we’ve decided to keep Arena going until the beta of the new Draft mode launches. The article below has been prepared by Jason Slama - Game Director - to highlight the process as well as the pros and cons of Arena and Draft modes.

When looking at our Arena mode, there were several issues we identified:
Not being able to equip vanities
While this sounds like a simple fix, it would have been tricky with our current UI, and since we knew we wanted to remake the mode entirely, we’ve been waiting for this moment to correct the oversight. For Draft mode, we are remaking the UI to fit our current standards of quality, and this will definitely be something the new interface will support.
Required investment to play
In our Arena mode, following industry trends, we introduced a ticketing system in order to participate with rewards based on your performance to potentially offset entry cost. This dynamic caused us to disconnect Arena from regular progression systems until somewhat recently. We believe this system creates an unnecessary barrier to players who would otherwise prefer this way of playing instead of constructed formats.

With that in mind, entry costs to our new Draft mode will not exist. As a consequence, we will not initially have the matching reward system based on your performance. While the latter may be seen as a positive or negative depending on your preference, we hope you can respect why we chose to head in this direction and that this is an unavoidable outcome.
Not casual player friendly
We feel like Ranked / Pro Rank formats are the place for competitive GWENT to shine, and having that element be the core focus of a secondary mode is a wasted opportunity. We felt that -- for newer players in particular -- the extra punishment for losing a match created a stronger feeling of matchmaking anxiety, and this additional pressure isn’t what we wanted from the mode.

This is why -- coupled with our decision to remove entry costs and performance rewards -- we are looking for a new way to handle the flow of Draft mode matches after drafting.

We will share more information at another time regarding ideas and plans for this format.
Drafting a Deck
Before we dive into the main things we didn’t like about the original Arena’s draft mode, we want to highlight that we designed Arena with a pre-homecoming mindset where provisions did not exist. It has also not seen any significant change to its drafting knowledge since its inception, and we believe it has aged poorly, failing to adapt to the current card designs in GWENT.

Let’s begin by highlighting what we did like about this mode:

----------- What we liked -----------​

1 - Lack of faction restrictions: Permitting cross-faction decks allowed interactions between cards not currently possible in standard constructed format, and we liked the possibilities this offered.

This will not change.

2 - No deck building rules: Similar to the first point, the potential of having more copies than allowed in standard modes gave more versatility to Arena decks, opening up an array of new, exciting possibilities.

This will also not change.

3 - Collecting Premiums affecting Arena: Getting a premium in your regular collection would result in the card being premium when generating packages in the Arena. We thought this was a nice way to make people focused on Draft to actually have SOME incentive to progress in this regard.

This will also not change.

----------- What we did not like -----------​

Now let us dive into what we did not like as much in the existing draft.

1 - It's quite time-consuming: While for some the time required to draft a deck was doubtlessly a non-issue, for many of us, the time commitment for just creating a deck was a bit more daunting than we wanted.

This required the player to make a series of 26 choices (25 cards + 1 Leader ability pick), and we will be bringing it down to 11 choices -- more than halving this process while also adding a step to draft your deck's Stratagem.

2 - Too many cards require synergy to be effective: Many cards -- like John Natalis, for example -- were usually the wrong choice to make early in a draft since, unless you were presented with at least one decent Warfare card, he would be a dud.

With our new Draft system, the odds used to determine which cards you are offered is affected by the choices you’ve already made during the draft

3 - Drafted decks varied in power drastically: While variance in deck power from drafting a deck is to be expected, the scale at which this would occur in the current draft was staggeringly high, too often dependent on luck rather than skill.

While we don’t seek to eliminate the gaps of power level from decks, we want to bring the floor up, significantly decreasing the chances of getting a totally garbage deck with little to no synergy built in. We do aim, however, to find ways to make random luck still a factor to keep things feeling fresh, and this will ultimately always lead to some drafts having better options presented to the player than others. We also are playing with ways to add skill into the drafting process, with earlier decisions having more of a tangible impact on later ones.

4 - Many Leader Abilities are not draft friendly: For construction, we had to limit many Leader Abilities to only target their faction cards. As a player with a deck that includes numerous factions, these Leader Abilities would often turn out to be a terrible choice.

In order to solve this divide between constructed and draft mode deck building, all Leader Abilities offered to players will be unique to Draft. We reserve the right to adapt or use Leader Abilities from construction if we feel they fit draft mode well.

5 - Some cards don’t belong in Draft: Cards with deck builder restrictions that players are unlikely to fulfil will no longer be offered since they can too easily end up being dead weight. Shupe’s Day Off is an example of a card that will not be part of the draft process -- though fear not, Shupe fans, as he will come via a draft mode-specific leader ability that does not suffer from deck building restrictions.

----------- 3-card packages -----------​

With this in mind, let’s dive deeper into the specifics of how drafting works in the mode named after this process.

The most crucial change to cover first is that players will now draft 3 cards at a time instead of 1. They will be presented with 3 packages that each contain 3 cards to choose from. This achieves 3 important goals.

Firstly, it allows us to greatly reduce the amount of choices a player must make, thus making drafting a deck substantially faster.

Secondly, it allows us to offer cards that synergize together, reducing the odds of getting a deck filled with essentially dead cards (there is hope for old John Natalis).

Thirdly, it allows us to offer cards with a theme/label that helps newer players learn concepts and categories in GWENT. For example, users may be presented with a package of 3 Wild Hunt Riders labelled as a Thinning package, thereby introducing them to that concept in deck construction.

These card packages are manually configured and do not include all cards possible in the regular collection-based multiplayer. This -- other than being time-consuming, at least initially -- allows us great control over how the drafting process works and lets us potentially rotate in/out content whenever we want.

----------- Controlling how packages are presented -----------​

Our draft system is built upon a concept of weighted randomness. This means that when the algorithm is choosing what to offer you, not everything is given the same consideration. Let’s say it has to pick between two packages. Package A has a weight of 3 and Package B has a weight of 1. This means you are 3 times more likely to be shown Package A over Package B.

In addition to this, the weights themselves are dynamic and open to change as you draft your deck. In practice, this means that the choices you make earlier in the draft will significantly affect the odds surrounding what you are offered later into the draft. For example, if you choose a Nilfgaardian leader ability, the odds of you being offered a Tactics-based Special package will increase significantly.

It will be a struggle to balance somewhere between a tailored choice-based draft and not being too constricted by always showing obvious options.

We have an additional tool at our disposal to help with this process in the form of enabling/disabling package configurations entirely. For example, unless you pick something that goes well with Firesworn, such as the Congregate leader ability, this package simply won’t be shown to you.

----------- Balancing packages-----------​

Packages are configured on a 3 slot basis (top, middle and bottom), where which cards are possible in each slot can vary. Sometimes we create packages where all 3 slots are the same card (triple Wild Hunt Riders, for example). Most package configurations follow a model of a gold card in the top slot and a bronze card in the other 2 slots. Sometimes we add some low provision gold cards as possibilities in the middle slot.

Since most packages follow the gold + 2 bronze model, this ensures that in the vast majority of cases, the number of gold and bronze cards in a deck will remain fairly stable. While there are some super powerful packages in the draft, such as the triple Knickers thinning package, their odds are purposefully made low enough that players should only see 2-3 such packages in their entire draft.

In addition, we have the power of disabling such packages so they cannot be offered to you more than once. Choosing a triple Knickers package, for example, disables its own config AND that of the triple Roach package.

----------- Categories -----------​

All card packages are grouped into one of 8 categories. The way the draft algorithm works is that it will first choose 3 categories and THEN randomly generate a package of that category. This aspect is far more important than the categories being fully coherent. If we do not distribute the card packages into different categories, your chances of being offered 3 relevant choices in the draft become zero. That is why sometimes packages are placed according to how they best affect the odds of the draft.

An important thing to note is that the choice of which categories will be shown to the player is ALSO controlled via dynamic weighted randomness. This means some categories can have a significantly lower chance of being seen than others. Some categories are even configured in a deteriorating way, meaning every time you choose a package of its category, the odds of being offered that category again could be significantly reduced.

Let’s take a look at the currently planned categories and which packages will fit into them. Mechanical: These packages are built around a primary mechanic that doesn’t fit into other categories.

Some examples:

Harmony, Coins, Move, Order, Create, Deathwish, Disloyal.

Tribal: These packages are built upon cards that share a certain category. Most of these packages are disabled by default and turned on when something indicates it fits the deck you are building.

Some examples:

Dryads, Wild Hunt, Ships and Pirates, Elves, Druids, Blindeyes, Soldiers, Aristocrats.

Offence: These packages are built upon aggression towards your opponent, usually in the form of dealing damage.

Some examples:

Bleeding, Lock, Bounty, Poison, Damage.

Wombo Combos: These packages tend to be more hand crafted and are just super high value and mostly self-contained. This is the rarest category and players shouldn’t expect to be able to draft a deck entirely from these.

Some examples:

Triple Kambi, 3 random Geralts, Crones, Dulla and the Runewright.

Defence: These packages are all about keeping your units alive. NOTE that at this point in time, the system disallows players from drafting more than 1 unit with defender status, though this is subject to potential change.

Some examples:

Sukrus, Shield, Armor, Boost, Defender

Value: These packages are all about generating points.

Some examples:

Prebuff (deck + hand buff), high power, swarm, firesworn, hoard.

Special: These packages focus on special cards and are divided into various relevant categories. Special tutors are included here.

Some examples:

Nature, Organic, Alchemy, Raid, Crimes, Tactics, Warfare, Other.

Thinning: These packages are about summoning cards from your deck and are mostly very handcrafted. Blue Stripes Commando, for example, has a chance to give you Vernon Roche: Merciless as a first card and potentially a Blue Stripes Commando in the combo as well.

Some examples:

Knickers best boy, Foglets, Impera Brigade, Blue Stripes, Shield Maidens.

As of writing this, there are 79 packages players will see name wise, and 8 categories to be pulled from. Most of these sub packages can generate countless combinations of cards within themselves. We also plan to add or remove more sub-packages over time as this configuration grows. What this essentially means is that both what you are offered in drafts and the decks you end up creating will vary greatly.

Please remember that these are all subject to change.

Also, with some (rare) exceptions, each card slot can only pick from up to 8 cards in the configuration.

----------- Core Cards and Leader Abilities -----------​

While we eventually want to add custom Leader Abilities to Draft mode, we want to wait to see how the draft mode configuration evolves over the duration of the open beta before trying to add more. That being said, we feel confident that each faction has at least 4 Leader Abilities that fit the draft mode reasonably well.

Once in the draft, the player is shown 3 gold cards to choose from, and we call these Core Cards. Core Cards are not available in any of the packages that will be subsequently shown, and thus this is the only way to get them.

Easy examples of Core Cards are evolving cards or scenarios. That being said, they are not limited to legendary cards, and while they may NOT seem all created equal, they each represent something important. Each Core Card will signify a significant shifting of the weights and available packages for the rest of the draft in such a way that the odds of having strong synergy with this card in your final deck becomes quite likely.

Both Leader Abilities and Core Cards will draft with their faction acting like a category in card packages. That means that players will never be shown 2 Leader Abilities or 2 Core Cards from the same faction during the draft. This will hopefully ensure that drafted deck variety remains diverse.

----------- Full Draft Flow -----------​

Let’s get the final order out of the way:

Leader Ability -> Core Card -> 3 card packages x 8 -> Stratagem.

In order to maximize the impact both Core Cards and Leader Abilities have on the draft, they are the first thing you choose as a player.

----------- Closing Remarks -----------​

There is still so much we want to do with Draft mode. We’d love to add in some form of progression system, perhaps in the form of MMR, so that there are additional incentives to perform well in the mode. We are also considering ways of modifying your deck as you progress, most probably after having played a match with it.

We are also considering adding restrictions to drafting in the form of cooldowns to prevent players from just quickly redrafting all the time in order to maximize the odds of getting the best combo. It is our hope that the urge to do this in order to enjoy Draft mode is significantly lower simply because terrible decks that are so bad you don’t even want to bother trying becomes a thing of the past.

We plan to continue to tackle the drafting logic to keep it feeling fun and hope this creates a new way to enjoy GWENT for new and existing players.
 
Last edited: Oct 6, 2020
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RyanSchou

Season of the Cat has started

RyanSchou

CD PROJEKT RED
#1
Oct 1, 2020


The new season of the Cat has arrived and with it the latest Update 7.3!

This brings a round of balance changes, including major changes to artifact removal cards and some adjustment to scenarios.

This season will last until November 3rd, 10:00 a.m. CEST.
Seasonal mode: Switcheroo
  • After 2 turns the players switch hands.
Patch Notes: Link
 
Last edited: Oct 1, 2020
RyanSchou

Patchnotes 7.3

RyanSchou

CD PROJEKT RED
#1
Sep 30, 2020


Hey everyone,

Patchnotes are here and with it comes a developer video in which Burza is joined by Molegion to go over all the changes.

If you want to read up on the changes yourself, look no further:

Changes
  • The following leader abilities have been tagged as Spam abilities (desynced from leader animations): Carapace, Blood Scent, Overwhelming Hunger, Shieldwall, Guerilla Tactics, Natures Gift
  • Veteran keyword contracts now progress correctly
Neutral
  • Bomb Heaver ability changed to: Deploy: Damage an enemy unit by 1. If you have a Bomb in your hand, damage it by 3 instead.
  • Vivienne: Oriole ability changed to: Deploy: Boost self by the provisions of the unit on the right.
  • Frenzied D'ao power changed from 6 to 7. Provision changed from 8 to 7. Ability changed to: Deploy: Move a unit to other row.
  • Dimeritium Bomb ability changed to: Damage a unit by 3 and give it Veil.
  • Dancing Star ability changed to: Damage an enemy unit by 3. Deathblow: Damage the unit to the right by 1 less.
  • Blizzard provision changed from 6 to 8. Ability changed to: Destroy the lowest-power unit. Initiative: Destroy all units with the lowest power instead.
  • Shupe Hunter: Resilience ability changed to Destroy an artifact.
  • Shupe Knight: Destroy an artifact ability changed to Resilience.
Developer comment: In 7.3 we decided to rework most of artifact removal cards. The ones we've chosen felt overly impactful when they found the target, and very underwhelming when they didin't. This lead to very polarising gameplay experience, as the games often came down to presence (or lack of) cards like Bomb Heaver. To compensate for this change, we decided to slightly nerf the two most powerful scenarios - Masquerade Ball and Passiflora.

That being said, not all ways of removing artifacts have been deleted from the game. Korathi Heatwave can still target artifacts, as we believe it's a card that trades fairly with scenarios and finds good targets even when your opponent isn't playing any artifacts. Moreover, Shupe can still remove artifacts, but now as Hunter (and the Resilience option came back for Knight).
  • Phoenix provision changed from 13 to 11.
Developer comment: Since Caranthir can no longer copy Phoenix, its provision cost can go down to 11.
  • Olgierd von Everec now has a Bandit category.
Monsters
  • Ruehin primary category changed to Insectoid.
  • Ard Gaeth provision changed from 10 to 9.
  • Ghoul power changed from 1 to 2.
  • Celeano Harpy ability changed to: Deploy: Consume an allied unit, Bonded: Spawn a Harpy Egg in this row.
Developer comment: When Papa harpy and Mamma harpy really love each other...
  • Naglfar's Crew now has 1 armor.
  • Siren ability changed to: Deploy: Boost an ally by 1. If it's a Beast, boost it by 3 instead.
  • Haunt is now Doomed.
  • Mourntart armor changed from 0 to 1.
Skellige
  • Derran power changed from 4 to 7. Ability changed to: Deploy (Ranged): Damage self by 3, then move a card from your deck to your graveyard.
Developer comment: Derran played on ranged row still plays for the same amount of points, but now also synergises with all the heals Skellige has to offer. Moreover, if you feel like you don't need his Deploy ability, you can play him on melee row and get a 7 point unit.
  • Olaf provision changed from 11 to 10.
  • Rage of the Sea provision bonus changed from 14 to 13. Ability changed to: Order: Spawn Rain on enemy row for 2 turns and Deafening Siren on the opposite row. Charge: 2
Developer comment: Rage of the Sea has proven to be very strong in 7.2 patch. It's both powerful and flexible ability, so we lowered the provision bonus it offers, as well as limited its flexibility - now you have only 2 charges and you need 2 turns to get full value from each of them.
  • An Craite Greatsword damage dealt to self changed from 5 to 6.
Developer comment: We like the new Greatsword a lot, but he is a little bit too powerful. With this change, he should be slightly easier to remove before getting his full value.
  • Stunning Blow provision changed from 4 to 5. Ability changed to: Damage a unit by 5. If it has Armor, increase damage to 6.
Developer comment: Stunning Blow was a staple part of Skellige decks since its release. We think that such a good removal tool should have a cost, so we decided to bring it up to 5 provisions and 5 damage to be in line with cards like Nature's Rebuke and Boiling Oil. If you want to spend 4 provisions on removal, Gutting Slash is your friend. If you are willing to spend more, Stunning Blow remains a great, albeit more expensive option.
  • Gedyneith is now Doomed.
Northern Realms
  • Viraxas: Prince, Viraxas: Outcast, Viraxas: King provision changed from 11 to 12.
  • Amphibious Assault provision changed from 12 to 13.
  • Shieldwall provision bonus changed from 14 to 13.
  • Damned Sorceress ability changed to: Zeal. Order: Remove a unit's shield and boost self by 2. Charge 1.
  • Siege is now Doomed.
Scoia'tael
  • Feign Death provision changed from 13 to 14. Ability changed to: Doomed. Scenario: Progress whenever you play an Elf. Prologue: Spawn an Vernossiel's Commando in this row. Chapter 1: Spawn 2 Elven Deadeyes in this row. Chapter 2: Spawn and play Waylay.
Developer comment: Feign Death, as all the other scenarios, now spawns an engine card on Prologue, but its provision cost has been increased by 1.
  • Ithlinne Aegli provision changed from 11 to 10.
  • Zoltan: Warrior provision changed from 12 to 11.
  • Vrihedd Dragoon provision changed from 5 to 4. Power changed from 5 to 4.
  • Vrihedd Officer ability changed to: Deploy (Melee): Damage an enemy unit by 2. Deploy (Ranged): Boost an allied unit by 2. Bonded: Use both abilities.
  • Paulie Dahlberg ability changed to: Deploy: Move a unit to the other row. Order: Give an allied unit 2 armor.
Nilfgaard
  • Masquerade Ball is now Doomed. Provision changed from 14 to 15.
Developer comment: As a result of changes to artifact removal, Masquerade Ball is now Doomed (like all the other scenarios) and slightly more expensive. But worry not - this change also comes with a bunch of buffs to the faction.
  • Palmerin de Launfal ability changed to: Deploy: Damage an enemy unit by 2. Deathblow: Apply Spying to adjacent enemy units. If Milton is in your hand, always trigger Deathblow ability.
Developer comment: Palmerin applying Shields might've been cool, but there weren't many practical uses for this ability. We decided to change his Deploy into something that synergises with Milton more. Since Miltons ability is best used with with Disloyal units, Palmerin will also go on a mission to find and expose every spy in Toussaint.
  • Milton de Peyrac-Peyran provision changed from 8 to 7.
  • Slave Infantry provision changed from 5 to 4.
  • Vicovaro Novice provision changed from 5 to 4. Power changed from 5 to 4.
  • Slave Hunter power changed from 3 to 4. Ability changed to: Assimilate. Order: Damage an enemy unit by 2.
  • Slave Driver now has a Soldier category.
  • Vrygheff provision changed from 9 to 8.
  • Letho of Gulet power changed from 6 to 8.
  • Shilard Fitz-Oesterlen power changed from 4 to 5.
Syndicate
  • Sigi Reuven power changed from 3 to 4.
  • Passiflora ability changed to: Doomed. Scenario: Progress whenever you play a Blindeye. Prologue: Spawn Passiflora Peaches in this row. Chapter 1: Gain 6 Coins. Chapter 2: Spawn Sly Seductress in this row.
Developer comment: Passiflora's main strength comes from the fact that it spawns two engine cards. With changes to artifact removal, we decided to swap the order of chapters - to get both Passiflora Peaches and Sly Seductress on the board, you need an extra turn.
  • Caesar Bilzen Fee changed from 3 to 2.
  • Payday ability changed to: Damage an enemy unit by 5. Gain a coin for each point of excess damage dealt.
Developer comment: Payday joins the cool kids group with Nature's Rebuke, Boiling Oil and Stunning Blow. This new version has lower point ceiling, but is also way less risky.
  • Firesworn Scribe tribute changed from 4 to 2.
  • Eavesdrop provision changed from 6 to 5.
 
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RyanSchou

GWENT Partners Open #3 line-up and info!

RyanSchou

CD PROJEKT RED
#1
Sep 28, 2020


The GWENT Partners Open #3 is starting today at 6PM CEST!

You’ll be able to watch games from the players’ perspectives on their channels (list below), and on our official CD PROJEKT RED Twitch channel, where we will be hosting some of the games live.

Tomorrow 2PM CEST until Saturday night, we will also increase the chance for Twitch Drops so don’t miss out!

Here is a look at the players and their twitch channels:

Inari100 - twitch.tv/inari100

KondzioPlayer - twitch.tv/kondzioplayerlive

Tech_xx1 - twitch.tv/tech_xx1

5Ares5 - twitch.tv/5ares5/

Misterhabbla1 - twitch.tv/misterhabbla1

Handreader - twitch.tv/handreader

Jamedi - twitch.tv/tn_jamedi

Pawloex - twitch.tv/pawloex

Bomblin - twitch.tv/bomblin

Franka_ - twitch.tv/franka_unico

Euerfeldi - twitch.tv/Euerfeldi

Ashphilo - twitch.tv/ashphilo

Sanxesss - twitch.tv/sanxesss

PiotrCNS - twitch.tv/piotrcns

raydenovich - twitch.tv/raydenovich

MrSweetPiggy - twitch.tv/kingdenpai

Branca93 - twitch.tv/branca93

JustThePhil - twitch.tv/just_the_phil

OneChristo - twitch.tv/theonechristo

MagecT - twitch.tv/magectop

MaxTremere - twitch.tv/maxtremere

Jogops4 - twitch.tv/jogops4

Kafunow - twitch.tv/kafunow

Gwentsoul - twitch.tv/gwentsoul

JHugs - twitch.tv/jhugs

Aforismos - twitch.tv/aforismos

AlanitoBandito - twitch.tv/drobniak12

ZigZak_Guy - twitch.tv/zigzak_guy

Xioniz - twitch.tv/xioniz

Runium - twitch.tv/runium

zerknof - twitch.tv/zerknoff

KDenpai - twitch.tv/kingdenpai

_Dobermann_ - twitch.tv/dobermann_gwent

PBLead - twitch.tv/pblead
 
Last edited: Sep 28, 2020
  • RED Point
Reactions: devivre and Barracuda88
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