CD Projekt Red has announced a Collector’s Edition of its upcoming The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, and responds to fans that are unhappy with the Xbox One getting preferential treatment.
Although all Collector’s Editions of Witcher 3 come with a figure of the game’s hero Geralt fighting a Griffin, an artbook, stickers, game map, soundtrack, steelbook, medallion, and a collector’s box, only the Xbox One version comes with a cloth map and two decks of Gwent cards.
Gwent cards are a new Witcher 3 in-game competitive card game. There are over 150 unique player cards, and players can chose from four factions, namely, the Nilfgaardian Empire, the Northern Realms, the Scoia’tael, and the monsters of No Man’s Land.
Players can also pick their favored combat style to suit their individual playstyle, and can also use power hero cards that are unique to each faction.
Fans of the game are not pleased that only the Xbox One Collector’s Edition contains these physical items, and CD Projekt Red co-founder Marcin Iwiński had to explain the decision in a statement to Eurogamer.
“Looking at the heated comments, I believe that our announcement of the physical addition of two decks of Gwent cards and a cloth map, requires a further word from us,” Iwiński wrote.
“Here at CD Projekt Red, we always put gamers first.
“Our PC versions are released DRM-free, we bend over backwards to give you the most beefed up editions of our games (be it standard or Collector’s), and we deliver the same game, regardless of platform or version you buy.
“Moreover, we promised not (to) have any exclusive DLCs, neither per platform nor per retailer, and we do stand by our promise--nothing has changed, nor will change in this regard.”
However, CD Projekt Red needs “the support of partners to make our game visible worldwide,” hence the decision for the better Xbox One Collector’s Edition tie in.
Iwiński said: “This should hopefully translate to better sales, which will in consequence allow us to do what we have been doing for the last 10 years, i.e. reinvest this money to make more great RPGs, while still sticking to our values.
“If you still consider that adding two decks of Gwent cards and a map of the in-game world to the Xbox One CE equals us betraying our values and not fulfilling our promises, well, it does make us sad, but the final call is always yours to make.”
Iwiński concluded by saying that CD Projekt Red will announced more “great things” for Witcher 3 in the coming months, and “yes, yes, there are no more exclusives coming.”
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is set for a February 24, 2015 launch for the Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and the PC.
Check out a gameplay trailer below.
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