CD Projekt Red’s Announcement on Gwent Development
CD Projekt Red has made a significant announcement regarding the future of its free-to-play collectible card game, Gwent. The company has decided to step back from active development of the game. Despite this change, new cards will continue to be added throughout 2023, marking the completion of the card pool. This decision signifies a transition in the game’s maintenance, particularly concerning balance changes.
Responsibility for future balance changes is being handed over to the players themselves. This shift empowers the Gwent community to have a direct impact on the game’s ongoing balance and meta, ensuring that the game can continue to evolve even without the direct involvement of the original development team.
Final Update and Balance Council
CD Projekt has released update 11.10, the final official update for Gwent. This update marks the end of the developer’s direct involvement in the game’s balance changes. Moving forward, the game introduces a new system called the Balance Council, which delegates the responsibility of balance changes to the players.
The Balance Council system allows players to vote on changes to the game’s cards and leader abilities. To participate in the voting process, players must meet certain criteria:
- They must have achieved at least Prestige 1 status.
- They must have won 25 ranked games in the current season or reached Rank 0.
Each player is allowed to vote on up to three cards or leader abilities per month, with their first choice carrying the most weight. Here’s a breakdown of the voting process:
- First choice: worth three votes
- Second choice: worth two votes
- Third choice: worth one vote
Cards or abilities need a minimum of 50 votes to be considered for a change. The system also sets a limit on the number of changes that can be made each month, with a minimum of three and a maximum of 15, to maintain a balance between a fluctuating meta and stability.
This innovative approach aims to keep the game dynamic and engaging for the community, allowing players to have a significant say in the direction of the game’s balance.
Future Projects and Gwent Team
With the official development of Gwent coming to an end, it is anticipated that the Gwent team at CD Projekt Red will be reassigned to other high-profile projects. Among these are the eagerly awaited sequel to Cyberpunk 2077, which is currently in the early stages of development following the release of the expansion Phantom Liberty. Additionally, the team may contribute to the upcoming game that will commence a new trilogy in the universe of The Witcher. This new chapter, often referred to by fans as “The Witcher 4,” is set to introduce a fresh narrative arc within the beloved fantasy series.
The reallocation of the Gwent team’s talent and resources to these projects suggests a strategic focus on CD Projekt Red’s flagship franchises, ensuring that the studio continues to build upon the success of its most iconic titles.
Version 11.10 Update for Gwent
The Version 11.10 update for Gwent delivers the final round of developer patches, encompassing a variety of changes across different factions. Below is a table summarizing some of the key changes included in this update:
| Faction | Key Changes |
|---|---|
| Neutral |
|
| Monsters |
|
| Nilfgaard |
|
| Northern Realms |
|
| Scoia’tael |
|
| Skellige |
|
| Syndicate |
|
This update reflects CD Projekt’s final touches to the game, setting the stage for the community-driven balance changes that will follow.
Game Fixes in Version 11.10 Update
The Version 11.10 update for Gwent also includes a series of game fixes aimed at improving the overall player experience. Here is a list of the notable game fixes that were part of this update:
- Recommended cards in the Deck Builder now display their tooltips correctly.
- The Shield VFX should no longer remain on the board in rare cases after the unit it belonged to leaves play.
- Chort has been reclassified from a common Beast to an epic Relict.
- Henry var Attre’s Spawned cards are now shown in the preview screen.
- Casting Contest no longer disables Grace for bronze units.
- Deithwen Arbalest now only damages one unit at a time when multiple statuses are applied simultaneously.
- Princess Adda and Svalblod no longer react to units moved between rows on the same side of the battlefield.
- Salamandra Mage no longer counts Adrenaline inconsistently when reacting to Tributes.
These adjustments ensure that the gameplay is smoother and more intuitive, addressing issues that players may have encountered previously.
