The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Trophy Guide & Roadmap
Master the Path and claim the Platinum with our ultimate The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Trophy Guide & Roadmap. Follow expert strategies for every achievement.
Welcome to our The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Trophy Guide & Roadmap. CD Projekt Red’s massive open-world RPG is a long journey packed with memorable quests, dangerous monsters, political intrigue, exploration, and plenty of opportunities to get distracted along the way.
If this is your first Witcher game, you’ll take on the role of Geralt of Rivia, also known as the White Wolf. As a professional monster hunter, Geralt travels across the Northern Realms while searching for Yennefer and Ciri, taking on contracts, helping — or occasionally exploiting — the people he encounters, and getting involved in conflicts far bigger than himself.
The Platinum is a substantial commitment, but it can be earned in a single playthrough if you approach the game with the missable trophies in mind.
Trophy Overview
| Estimated Trophy Difficulty | 6/10 |
| Offline Trophies | 53 |
| Online Trophies | None |
| Approximate Time to Platinum | 100–150+ hours |
| Minimum Playthroughs | 1 |
| Missable Trophies | 11 |
| Glitched Trophies | None |
| Does Difficulty Affect Trophies? | Yes |
| Do Trophies Stack? | Yes, difficulty trophies stack |
| Do Cheat Codes Disable Trophies? | No |
The Witcher 3 is not a particularly difficult Platinum from a mechanical standpoint, but its sheer size and the number of missable objectives are what make it demanding. The biggest challenge is keeping track of certain quests and decisions while progressing through the story.
Welcome to The Witcher 3
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt drops you into the Northern Realms as Geralt of Rivia, a Witcher trained to hunt monsters and supernatural creatures for a living.
Your main journey revolves around finding Yennefer and eventually tracking down Ciri, but the story quickly expands into something much larger. You’ll investigate murders, settle disputes, hunt monsters, play Gwent, take on contracts, and make decisions that can have consequences much later in the game.
For trophy hunters, this is important: don’t rush the main story. The game contains several quests and activities that can become permanently unavailable depending on your progress.
The good news is that most of the Platinum can be earned naturally by exploring the world and completing the many activities available to you.
Roadmap
Step 1: Complete the Main Story on Death March
For your first playthrough, we recommend starting on Death March, the highest difficulty available from the beginning.
This allows you to earn the difficulty-related trophies without needing a second playthrough. Death March can feel punishing during the opening hours, but once you understand the combat system, prepare your gear, use Signs effectively, and make good use of oils and potions, the difficulty becomes much more manageable.
You are free to approach the game however you want. Explore, complete contracts, take on side quests, investigate question marks, and experiment with different builds. The game rewards exploration, and defeating higher-level enemies generally provides more experience.
However, there are several trophies that require your attention during the story.
The most important ones to watch are:
- Assassin of Kings
- Card Collector
- Full Crew
There are several other missable trophies as well, although some can still be earned after finishing the main storyline because they are connected to optional content rather than a specific point in the main quest.
Keep Multiple Save Files
This is one of the most important pieces of advice for a Witcher 3 Platinum.
Create manual saves regularly, particularly before major quests and important decisions. If you have access to cloud saves or an external backup, keeping an additional copy of your saves can also save you from having to replay dozens of hours if you accidentally miss a trophy.
Important: The Isle of Mists
Before starting The Isle of Mists, make a separate manual save.
This quest represents a major turning point in the story. Once you reach this stage, several side quests can become permanently unavailable depending on their progress.
Having a backup save gives you the opportunity to return and complete anything you may have overlooked.
Missable Trophies
There are 11 missable trophies in the base game that deserve particular attention:
- Assassin of Kings
- Brawl Master
- Card Collector
- Even Odds
- Fast and Furious
- Fist of the South Star
- Full Crew
- Geralt and Friends
- Gwent Master
- The Doppler Effect
- Woodland Spirit
Not all of these need to be completed during the main storyline itself, but they can become unavailable if you make certain choices or progress beyond specific quests.
The safest approach is to keep an eye on these trophies throughout your playthrough rather than attempting to clean everything up at the very end.
Step 2: Clean Up in Free Roam
Once you’ve completed the main storyline, you can switch the difficulty to Easy if you still have combat-related trophies or other objectives to finish.
At this point, the world is largely available for cleanup, making it much easier to concentrate on anything you skipped during your main journey.
This is also the ideal time to finish remaining contracts, explore undiscovered locations, collect equipment, complete miscellaneous activities, and mop up any trophies that don’t require specific story conditions.
However, remember that some missable trophies cannot be recovered after their relevant quests have been completed. That’s why the earlier save-game advice is so important.
Gwent and Collectible Cleanup
Gwent is one of the bigger distractions in The Witcher 3 — and also one of the biggest potential problems for trophy hunters.
If you’re working toward Card Collector and Gwent Master, don’t simply ignore the card game until the end of the story.
Play Gwent whenever possible, purchase cards from merchants, and pay attention to opportunities to obtain unique cards through quests and tournaments.
Some cards and Gwent-related opportunities can become unavailable if certain quests are missed, so treating Gwent as something you’ll “do later” can create unnecessary problems.
Use an Interactive Map
The Witcher 3’s world is enormous, and manually tracking every point of interest can become exhausting.
An interactive map can make cleanup considerably easier by showing the locations of discovered and undiscovered points of interest throughout White Orchard, Velen, Novigrad, and Skellige.
One useful option is the Witcher 3 interactive map at witcher3map.com, which can help you locate points of interest and other collectibles.
The map does not cover every type of content, particularly side quests, so it should be used as a supplement rather than a complete checklist.
Kaer Morhen is also not fully represented on the map, so keep that limitation in mind.
Hearts of Stone Changes
If you’re playing a version that includes Hearts of Stone, there is one trophy-related change worth mentioning.
The requirements for Dendrologist were affected by the expansion because Hearts of Stone added five new skills to the General skill tree.
Make sure you account for these additional skills when working toward the trophy.
Final Tips for the Platinum
The Witcher 3 is a game where taking your time is usually the best strategy.
Don’t feel pressured to rush through the main story. Explore the areas you’re visiting, complete contracts, talk to NPCs, play Gwent, and keep an eye on the trophy list as you progress.
Most importantly:
- Start on Death March if you want to earn all difficulty trophies in one playthrough.
- Make frequent manual saves.
- Create a backup before The Isle of Mists.
- Pay attention to the 11 missable trophies.
- Don’t leave Gwent until the very end.
- Complete optional quests before advancing major story points.
- Use an interactive map when you’re ready for cleanup.
- Switch to Easy after the story if you need to finish combat-related trophies.
With a little preparation, the Platinum is entirely manageable in a single playthrough.
More than anything, though, enjoy the journey. The Witcher 3 is a huge game, and its world is at its best when you take the time to explore it rather than treating every quest as another item on a checklist.
Story Trophies
Follow the main story through White Orchard and continue into Velen. Yennefer becomes part of the main storyline as Geralt searches for Ciri, so this trophy cannot be permanently missed while progressing normally through the campaign.
Continue the main quest involving Dandelion after arriving in Novigrad. Follow the investigation surrounding his disappearance and complete the related sequence to eventually locate and free him.
This is tied directly to the main story in Skellige. Continue Yennefer’s investigation until she performs the ritual involving Skjall’s body, then complete the sequence to unlock the trophy.
Complete the Bloody Baron storyline in Velen and investigate what happened to his family. Follow the quest chain through the surrounding areas until both his wife and daughter have been located.
Keep following the main quest as Geralt pieces together Ciri’s whereabouts. The search eventually leads to a major story sequence where Geralt finally finds her.
Progress through the late-game main quests until Geralt reaches Tir ná Lia. Speak with Ge’els and complete the required story sequence to convince him to turn against Eredin.
Reach the final stages of the main campaign and face Eredin in the climactic battle. Defeat him to earn this story trophy.
Complete the main campaign on any available difficulty setting. The trophy is awarded after finishing the game’s final sequence.
Difficulty and Character Progression
Start a new game on either Blood and Broken Bones! or Death March! difficulty and keep that setting until the campaign is completed. Changing to an easier difficulty during the run will prevent the requirement from being fulfilled.
Complete the entire main campaign on Death March! difficulty. Because combat and resource management are considerably harsher, keep your equipment upgraded and make regular use of oils, potions, bombs and Signs.
Spend ability points until every ability in a single skill tree has been unlocked. You can earn additional ability points from leveling up and Places of Power, so save points if necessary until the chosen tree is complete.
Equip mutagens in every available mutagen slot on the character screen. More slots become available as Geralt progresses through the game and unlocks additional ability slots.
Raise Geralt’s character level to 35 by completing quests, contracts, exploration activities and other sources of experience. Main quests provide the most consistent progress, while side content helps fill the remaining gap.
Character Quests and Political Storylines
Complete the major quests connected to Skellige’s succession. Help the competing candidates and finish the related quest chain before moving too far into the final stages of the story.
Complete the required Novigrad political quests involving Dijkstra, Roche, Thaler and the resistance against Radovid. Continue the chain until the assassination operation takes place.
Complete Keira Metz’s quest chain in Velen, including the events surrounding Fyke Isle. Make sure to finish her storyline rather than simply abandoning the quest after the initial missions.
Complete the relevant character and side quests before the Battle of Kaer Morhen so that Geralt can recruit every available ally. Several characters require their personal quest chains to be resolved first, so it is best to handle these recruitment quests before triggering the final preparations.
Witcher Contracts
Accept and complete every witcher contract found throughout the base game. Check notice boards regularly and speak with NPCs, as some contracts become available through specific locations or quest progression.
Take the Shrieker contract in Crow’s Perch and investigate the monster’s attacks. Track the creature to its lair and defeat it to finish the contract.
Find and accept the contract concerning Sarasti, then investigate the vampire attacks and follow the quest trail to the creature’s location. Defeating Sarasti completes the contract.
Take the Woodland Spirit contract in Skellige and investigate the deaths around the village. Follow the quest and choose the outcome that leads to confronting the spirit, then defeat it to complete the contract.
Accept the Morvudd contract in Skellige and investigate the creature responsible for the attacks. Track Morvudd to its lair and defeat it to close the contract.
Pick up the contract involving Therazane and investigate the deaths in the area. Follow the clues to locate the monster and defeat it to complete the investigation.
Complete the Novigrad quest involving the doppler who has been causing trouble. Investigate the situation and resolve the conflict rather than leaving the quest unfinished.
Combat and Signs
Use Axii’s alternate ability that influences an enemy to attack another nearby opponent. Repeat this 20 times; groups of human enemies make it much easier to set up the required situations.
Find enemies near cliffs, ledges or other elevated areas and use Aard to knock them to their deaths. Harpy nests and other elevated locations can provide useful opportunities for farming this requirement.
Use environmental hazards to finish enemies instead of relying solely on weapons. Swamp gas, explosive objects, insect swarms and other hazards all count, so take advantage of them whenever you encounter suitable groups of enemies.
Practice against an enemy with predictable melee attacks and repeatedly counter at the correct moment. You need ten successful counters in sequence without taking damage or using a normal parry between them.
Defeat five enemies during the same encounter without taking damage and without relying on Quen. A small group of lower-level enemies is ideal, as you can use dodges and well-timed attacks to control the fight.
Throw a Dragon’s Dream bomb into an area containing the gas cloud, then set an enemy on fire and move the burning opponent into the gas. The resulting explosion counts toward the total, so repeat the setup ten times.
Find a dense group of weak enemies and eliminate at least five within ten seconds. Explosives, strong area attacks and enemy groups that respawn can make this much easier.
During one encounter, kill three enemies using three different attack methods. For example, finish one with a sword, another with a Sign and another with a bomb or crossbow.
Apply all three effects to the same enemy at the same time: bleeding, poisoning and burning. A crossbow or sword effect can provide bleeding, poison comes from suitable oils or bombs, and fire can be applied with Igni or a bomb. Repeat the combination ten times.
Use the crossbow to land headshots on human and nonhuman enemies. Weaken enemies first if necessary, then aim carefully for the head to build the required total of 50 kills.
Perform all four actions within four seconds: land an attack, successfully counter an enemy, cast a Sign and throw a bomb. Keep an enemy nearby and prepare the bomb beforehand so you can move quickly between actions.
Complete two witcher contract monster kills while relying only on your weapons and basic combat. Do not use Signs, potions, mutagens, oils or bombs during the required kills. The two monsters can come from different contracts.
Fistfighting, Racing and Physical Challenges
Progress through the Skellige fistfighting questline until you challenge Olaf. Defeat him in unarmed combat to claim the trophy.
Finish every fistfighting quest in Velen, Novigrad and Skellige. Work through each local champion chain and defeat the final opponents in all three regions.
Win a fistfight without allowing your health to drop. Blocking and well-timed counters are safer than trading punches, especially against a weaker opponent.
Take part in every horse race available throughout the base game and finish each one in first place. Upgrade Roach’s saddlebags and equipment where possible to make the races easier to manage.
Find a suitable steep slope and start sliding downhill without interruption. Keep the slide going for at least ten seconds; the challenge is easiest on a long, continuous descent.
Exploration and World Activities
Discover fast travel signposts as you explore Velen, Novigrad, Skellige and the other accessible regions. Interact with 100 different signposts to reach the required total.
Destroy every monster nest in either the Velen/Novigrad region or Skellige. Use bombs to destroy the nests after clearing the surrounding enemies. You only need to complete one of the two regional sets.
Activate a Place of Power for each Sign so that all five Sign bonuses are active simultaneously. Because the effects expire after a limited period, plan a route between nearby Places of Power and activate them quickly.
Alchemy and Bombs
Collect and learn at least 12 different potion recipes. Search herbalists, alchemists and treasure locations for formulae, then open the alchemy menu to learn them.
Find six different bomb formulae through exploration, merchants and alchemy-related loot. Once six unique recipes have been collected, the trophy will unlock.
Locate monster nests throughout the world, clear the creatures guarding them and use a bomb to destroy each nest. Repeat this for ten nests.
Books, Gear and General Collectibles
Read any 30 books, journals or other readable documents found during exploration and quests. Pick up readable items whenever you find them and open them from the inventory to make progress.
Find all the pieces belonging to one witcher gear set and equip the complete set at the same time. The diagrams are usually obtained through treasure hunts, so check the relevant quest markers and crafting requirements.
Gwent
Collect every Gwent card available in the base game. Buy cards from merchants and innkeepers, win cards from players and complete the Gwent-related quests while keeping an eye out for unique cards tied to specific opponents.
Complete the Passiflora Gwent tournament and defeat every opponent, including Tybalt. Bring a strong, well-developed deck and make sure you are comfortable with the rules before entering the tournament.
Build a deck containing only neutral cards and win a single round of Gwent. You do not need to win the entire match with the neutral-only setup; one successful round is enough.
Use a deck that contains at least three hero cards and play all three during a single round. You must also win the overall Gwent match, so save enough strength to secure the game after using the hero cards.
Hearts of Stone (DLC)
Progress through the Hearts of Stone storyline until you confront the cursed prince in his toad form. Defeat the creature during the required quest sequence.
During the Hearts of Stone wedding sequence, take part in every available activity instead of rushing through the event. Interact with the guests and complete all of the optional wedding activities before leaving.
Attend the Borsodis’ Auction House event and purchase every item offered during the auction. Make sure you have enough money available before entering the auction sequence.
Enter Iris von Everec’s Painted World and recreate every nightmare scene you encounter. Interact with the required objects and complete each memory sequence before progressing.
Complete the Hearts of Stone main storyline through its final confrontation and ending sequence. The trophy is awarded once the expansion’s story has been finished.
During the Painted World sequence, deliberately trigger all of Iris’s nightmares so they become hostile at once. Keep them together and defeat the entire group without accidentally separating the encounter.
Use the appropriate defensive timing to catch or deflect incoming arrows and send them back at the archers. Kill three enemies with their reflected arrows to unlock the trophy.
Increase your toxicity capacity enough to have seven potions or decoctions active simultaneously. Prepare the required mixtures beforehand, then consume them in quick succession while keeping toxicity within the available limit.
Explore the fallen knight camps introduced in Hearts of Stone, defeat the knights occupying them and loot the campsites. Continue until every required camp has been cleared.
Complete the Ofieri-related quests and collect the complete Ofieri armor set, horse equipment and at least one Ofieri sword. Some pieces require crafting, so gather the necessary diagrams and materials before visiting the appropriate craftsman.
Find groups of cows in the countryside and kill 20 of them. If the animals disappear after a while, leave the area and return later so another group can spawn.
Build a high-scoring Gwent deck and aim to reach at least 187 total strength in a single round. Use strong unit combinations, multipliers and weather-resistant cards to push the round score high enough.
Blood and Wine (DLC)
Begin the Blood and Wine expansion and follow its opening quest until Geralt reaches Toussaint. Entering the duchy during the expansion unlocks the trophy.
Complete the required Blood and Wine storyline and achievements that lead to the Order of Vitis Vinifera decoration. Continue through the relevant late-game sequence until Geralt receives the award.
Follow the Blood and Wine story until Geralt is sentenced and sent to prison in Toussaint. The trophy unlocks after the required jail sequence is completed.
Take part in the knights’ tournament and complete every competition without losing. The activities include several different challenges, so prepare your equipment and follow each event carefully to maintain a flawless run.
Complete the Lady of the Lake’s virtue trials by demonstrating the required five virtues throughout the Blood and Wine storyline and side quests. Once the requirements are fulfilled, return to the Lady of the Lake to receive Aerondight.
Upgrade Corvo Bianco using every available development option. Complete the required quests and purchase each improvement so that the vineyard is fully developed.
Search Toussaint for every grandmaster witcher gear diagram belonging to all five schools. Complete the related treasure hunts and collect the diagrams needed by the grandmaster craftsman.
Complete the Blood and Wine Gwent content and collect every card belonging to the Skellige deck. Play against the relevant opponents and purchase or obtain cards from merchants where available.
Complete the vineyard-related questline in Toussaint and help resolve the conflict between the rival vineyards. Finish the required follow-up tasks so the vineyards are united and the wine is named after Geralt.
Collect and equip the complete required set of witcher gear from one school, then use the appropriate crafting and upgrade system to unlock its set bonus. The Blood and Wine grandmaster sets are the most direct route.
Unlock the mutation system through the Blood and Wine questline and then purchase your first mutation using the required ability points and Greater Mutagens.
Freeze an enemy using a suitable bomb or effect, then finish the frozen target with a crossbow bolt. Time the shot while the enemy is still frozen to trigger the trophy.
During the opening Golyat encounter in Toussaint, equip the crossbow and aim carefully at the giant’s exposed eye. A precise crossbow shot to the eye must deliver the killing blow.
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