The Witcher 3 Opening Cinematic

No matter how you shake it DLC has become a very contentious subject in the world of games. After being burned countless times by on-disc or overpriced offerings gamers these days know to be wary of an additional content that carries a price tag.

It is likely for that reason that The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt developer CD Projekt Red has decided to bypass those preconceived notions by offering their DLC at no extra charge. What's more, The Witcher 3 will include 16 DLC releases in total – two per week – and every single one will be free.

CD Projekt had actually detailed this free DLC plan some months ago, but we are only now learning what each DLC release will include. According to the developer, The Witcher 3 players can expect new costume items, horse armor, and new quests starting with the Temerian Armor Set and Beards and Hairstyle Set on February 25th.

Then, on March 4th, CD Projekt Red will release an additional quest for The Witcher 3, as well as an alternate look for Yennefer of Vengerberg. The DLC releases will continue from there for the next 6 weeks like clockwork, two per Tuesday.

For a developer who seems so devoted to their fans its no surprise to see CD Projekt Red announce a bevy of free DLC. Obviously, costume sets and side quests are hard to put a price tag on, so rather than draw criticism the developer decided to do the right thing.

That being said, we should mention that CD Projekt Red has acknowledged that if they ever deliver expansions for The Witcher 3 they will likely charge for them. They still don't know whether that will happen or how much they might charge, but don't be surprised if a Witcher 3 expansion carries a $10 or $15 price tag somewhere down the line. Here's CD Projekt head Marcin Iwinski a few months back:

"Should we decide to do some big expansions or something, we'll expect gamers to pay for it. But again, it's all value for money. I think $15-$20 for new gameplay is a pretty honest and fair deal."

Alongside the announcement of free DLC, there were a few other Witcher 3 bits released over the past week, including the game's opening cinematic and a closer look at the world of Temeria. The opening cinematic is of particular interest if only because it sets up the narrative of The Witcher 3 with stark visuals and brutal violence.

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As we know, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt finds Geralt in pursuit of a mysterious woman who, in turn, is pursued by a group called the Wild Hunt. In the scene it appears the woman is wise to the world of magic, which seemingly will make her harder to find.

The second of the two videos features several CD Projekt Red team members talking about the world of The Witcher 3 and how it adapts to player choice. As each dev explains, Geralt's decisions within the game will influence how people in town will react to him and also what quests might open up.

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The video also details the importance of monster hunting in the game, both to Geralt the character and the player. While in past games, Geralt has been monster hunter in name alone, Wild Hunt actually lets players track and then kill some pretty formidable beats. The E3 2014 demo, for example, showed Geralt tracking down a gryphon.

Even before the announcement of free DLC and seeing this opening cinematic, The Witcher 3 was high on our list of most anticipated games in 2015. CD Projekt has proven time and time again that they want to do right by the fans – they even delayed the game to ensure the highest quality – and we can't wait to play it.

What do you think of The Witcher 3's DLC plans? Do you plan on picking up the game?

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt releases February 24, 2015 for PC, PS4, and Xbox One.

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Source: Bandai Namco