CD Projekt RED recently reviewed the pricing strategy for the two major expansions of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. Marcin Momot, Global Community and Social Media Director, stated that the team always aimed to provide content that offered true value for money during development, and believes they ultimately achieved this goal.
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt released the Hearts of Stone expansion in 2015, followed by Blood and Wine the next year. The content was described at the time as offering over 30 hours of gameplay each, and the Expansion Pass was priced at around $24.99.
Momot stated that The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt was not only the studio's first open-world game but also the first time the team tested its narrative concepts in a vast and free environment. The Expansion Pass was part of this ambition. Purchasing the pass meant players trusted the team to continue expanding the game, and the two expansions were seen as a return on that support.
The studio later released a free next-gen update for The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, allowing owners of the base game to upgrade to the Complete Edition and receive Hearts of Stone and Blood and Wine for free. There are also reports that the new expansion, Whispering Hillock, is planned for release next year, but it remains unclear whether it will continue with the lower pricing model, as there is no official answer yet.