The Witcher Card Game gets its first expansion

CD Projekt Red today announced Crimson Curse, the first expansion for Gwent: The Witcher Card Game. It launches March 28.

Gwent had its official release last October on PC, with PlayStation 4 and Xbox One versions following in December. Gwent started a side game inside the 2015 hit role-playing game The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. This standalone version is free-to-play.

Newzoo estimates that the digital card game market will be worth $2 billion by 2020. Blizzard’s Hearthstone is the category leader. Hearthstone, however, is not available on PlayStation 4 or Xbox One, which gives Gwent access to an audience that Hearthstone doesn’t reach.

Gwent has players using cards to control a multi-rowed board. While Hearthstone follows the Magic: The Gathering model by having cards cost resources to play, Gwent has no mana-like system. You simply play one card a turn. Gwent also stands out with its focus on a significant story-based mode, which gives fans of the lore-heavy RPG series a chance for more Witcher narrative.

Crimson Curse will add 100 cards to Gwent. The set takes its inspiration from the Dettlaff van der Eretein character, a vampire from The Witcher 3’s Blood and Wine expansion.