CD Projekt Red releases new screenshots that help provide some clues toward what gamers can expect from Geralt and friends in The Witcher 3: Blood and Wine expansion.

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt was an unbridled success last year, with many critics agreeing that its main content constituted the best RPG of 2015 in a year that also saw the release of Bethesda's Fallout 4. Not content to rest on its laurels, CD Projekt Red followed up its already incredible pace with an expansion for The Witcher 3 called Hearts of Stone, which was the first expansion of two planned DLC offerings. Hearts of Stone continued the trend of engaging gameplay and intriguing narrative, and now CD Projekt Red has released new screenshots that indicate the upcoming =The Witcher 3: Blood and Wine expansion will do the same.

In a press release sent out today, CD Projekt Red unveiled five new screenshots from Blood and Wine, which fans can view below. Far removed from the sullen, dark tale of tragedy that characterized Hearts of Stone, Blood and Wine appears to be a much more vibrant section of the game, featuring colorful flowers and giant, Disney-esque mushrooms taller than Geralt.

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Of course, fans of The Witcher 3 know that peace is fleeting at the best of times, and the recently released cover art for The Witcher 3: Blood and Wine seems to indicate that Geralt will have plenty to worry about, including a very demonic-looking presence lurking in the background. The pictures CD Projekt Red provided weren't all gorgeous countrysides and fancy festivities, however.

According to CD Projekt Red, The Witcher 3: Blood and Wine will also mark the debut of a new enemy called the Scolopendromorph, which the studio cheekily describes as even harder to kill than it is to pronounce. The giant insectoid creatures certainly look the part, as one of the pictures details Geralt fighting two at once and looking a lot more like prey than predator. The creatures are entirely new to the Witcher series, so gamers will have to devise new plans of attack in order to slay them.

Unfortunately, CD Projekt Red did not decide to provide a release date for the Blood and Wine expansion alongside the new screenshots. Rumors surrounding The Witcher 3: Blood and Wine's release date have begun to surface, however, with a recent accidental listing from a Polish website suggesting that the expansion would be launched on June 7. Barring an announcement from CD Projekt Red itself, however, all dates should be considered pure speculation at this point.

Until then, gamers will have to make due with the tantalizing screens provided by CD Projekt Red today. Are you excited for the upcoming Witcher 3 expansion? What will give you more nightmares - the appearance of the Scolopendromorph, or the thought of having to say the name out loud? Let us know in the comments below.

The Witcher 3: Blood and Wine is expected to release sometime this summer, and will be available for PS4, Xbox One, and PC.