Gwent: Rogue Mage: A new game in the Witcher universe will be released tomorrow

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Gwent: Rogue Make, a surprising new game in the witcher universe, will be released tomorrow, as IGN has exclusively revealed in agreement with CD Projekt Red. The single-player title combines deck building with roguelike elements and is to be understood as an extension of the online trading card game Gwent.

Roguelike deck builder is said to be Gwent PVE again

The fact that CD Projekt Red is working on such an add-on has long been known under the project name “Golden Nekker” – it is a monster from the world of the witcher. However, the release on July 7, 2022 for PC, Android and iOS comes very suddenly. Gwent: Rogue Mage essentially takes over the game mechanics known from Gwent, but is to be sold as a standalone for 10 euros. A premium version brings some additional content of a cosmetic nature and card packages for the PVP part Gwent: The Witcher Card Game and costs 20 euros.

In contrast to the latter, the new single-player title can also be played without an internet connection, although cross-saves and cross-progression are offered. Game Director Vladimir Tortsov told IGN that CD Projekt recognized that there was still a great demand for such a game. The studio understands that many Witcher fans longed for the original and popular Gwent mini-game that debuted in The Witcher 3 (review) and was dubbed Gwint in German voice-overs.

Rogue Mage came out of us noticing that years after The Witcher 3's release, 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.

Game Director Vladimir Tortsov, CD Projekt Red

IGN's Ryan Dinsdale has already hinted at Gwent: Rogue Mage. The deck builder is actually reminiscent of the mini-game from The Witcher 3, but it's also roguelike. The player travels and discovers a procedurally generated map, spending around 30 hours playing the game while collecting maps. The latter adorn well-known names, including, for example, Geralt's beloved sorceress Yennefer, the bard Delphinium or the dwarf Zoltan. However, the game uses the card concept from the online offshoot, so that the game mechanics are more complex than in the rather simply knitted mini-game.

Slight storyline takes place well before The Witcher 3

The roguelike game model lets players find their own path through the game world from the start of the game until they either defeat the boss or are defeated along the way. Some games could therefore be over after just a few minutes, Dinsdale notes – especially if players increase some of the numerous difficulty parameters. On the other hand, Gwent: Rogue Mage can also be balanced into a relaxed casual game.

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Gwent: Rogue Mage (Image: IGN)

The action takes place hundreds of years before Geralt was born – which admittedly seems a bit strange considering the well-known names mentioned on the trading cards. In any case, players slip into the role of the magician Alzur, who is responsible for the creation of the first sorcerers with alchemy and arcane arts. The story, which is peppered with moral dilemmas, accompanies him in precisely that endeavor – but a campaign as profound as in The Witcher games is not to be expected.

While we have a story to tell about Alzur's obsession to create the first witcher, we do not treat this expansion as an official addition to The Witcher lore. 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 gameplay-first formula , but we do not expect the story to be the main reason for players to appreciate this release.

Game Director Vladimir Tortsov, CD Projekt Red

One witcher game after another

Gwent: Rogue Make isn't the first single-player standalone to the online trading card game. Thronebreaker, an independent PVE adaptation, was released in autumn 2018, which was originally intended as a Gwents campaign. Thronebreaker and Gwent both initially appeared on PC, but were ported to Android and iOS with a slight delay.

Not for mobile, but for PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X |S CD Projekt Red is working on a next-gen update for The Witcher 3. The new version should offer improved graphics including ray tracing and will be released later this year. In addition, an entirely new Witcher game in Unreal Engine 5 is in the works, as the developer confirmed in March. CD Projekt explicitly pointed out that no The Witcher 4 had been announced – Geralt no longer plays a leading role in the new title either; his story is told to the end.