Venture back in time long before Geralt was born in a new Witcher card game! In recent article by IGN, CD Projekt Red announced its newest entry in The Witcher series, a single-player deck building rogue-like. Gwent: Rogue Mage is the expansion for Gwent: The Witcher Card Game, which was initially released on March 31, 2017. Gwent: The Witcher Card Game went on to release on PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, iOS, and eventually Android. The expansion will preserve the original core mechanics but will be sold separately from the original.
Gwent: Rogue Mage takes place hundreds of years before Geralt’s birth, with players following the mage Alzur as he attempts to create the first Witcher. Players will move around in a procedurally generated map, participating in Gwent battles, confronting moral dilemmas, and interacting with Places of Power and other locations to bolster their collection of cards.
Rogue Mage is sold separately due to its size. In the article with IGN the game’s director Vladimir Tortsov elaborated that instead of splitting the campaign into multiple pieces and using micro-transactions for player progression between chapters, it would be easier to “make it a straightforward buy-to-play title.” He continued, stating that full play-ability without the internet is another consideration. While there are features such as leader-boards and cross-save progression, Gwen: Rogue Mage was designed for offline, single-player play. Tortsov went on to talk more about the different experiences players can expect with the new expansion:
“…There are a significant number of players who want a more PvE experience from Gwent. While Gwent multiplayer is a fantastic game for those who are looking for a great PvP multiplayer experience, we perfectly understand that many Witcher players loved the original mini-game of Gwent for totally different reasons. With Rogue Mage we aim to give this audience a reason to play modern-day Gwent in the format they prefer.”
While Rogue Mage is likely to be the only solo Witcher experience fans can enjoy for a while, Tortsov explained that it doesn’t feature an in-depth story similar to the mainline games, books, or its TV show; Rather, game-play was prioritized over narrative.
“Our goal with Rogue Mage’s story is to give players enough context on who Alzur is, what is his motivation, and the general setting of the world he lives in. We hope that players will get enough immersion to complement the game-play first formula, but we do not expect the story to be the main reason for players to appreciate this release.”
Gwen: Rogue Mage releases tomorrow, July 7, for PC, iOS, and Android. The standard version will be available for $9.99. A premium edition will also release, including in-game skins, cosmetics, and card packs for the multiplayer game, costing $19.99. For an in-depth look at the game, check out IGN’s article.