Do I need to play Witcher 1 and 2 first?

No. The sources confirm only the release order. Witcher 3 is playable standalone, but earlier games add background. That is our suggestion.

What is Thronebreaker?

A single-player Gwent RPG about Queen Meve, released in October 2018, roughly 30 hours.

Is Gwent still supported?

Official support for Gwent: The Witcher Card Game ended in October 2023. A physical edition came out in 2025, and Gwent is also a minigame in Witcher 3.

Witcher Games Order to Play: Release Order, Spin-Offs, Gwent

The Witcher games are based on Andrzej Sapkowski's books, and the series has sold 85 million units, according to a January 2026 company report quoted by Wikipedia. If you are not sure where to start, here is the list in order.

Key takeaways

Main games: The Witcher (2007), The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings (2011), The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt (2015).
Witcher 3 has two expansions, Hearts of Stone and Blood and Wine.
Spin-offs: Thronebreaker (2018), Gwent (2018) and Monster Slayer (2021).
The Witcher 4 targets a 2028 window.

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt – Blood and Wine – Launch Trailer · YouTube

The list

Game	Release
The Witcher	October 26, 2007 (PC)
The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings	2011
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt	May 19, 2015
Hearts of Stone (DLC)	October 13, 2015
Blood and Wine (DLC)	May 31, 2016
Thronebreaker: The Witcher Tales	October 2018
Gwent: The Witcher Card Game	2018
Monster Slayer (AR mobile)	2021
Witcher 3 Remastered	September 29, 2026

Where to start

Release order gives the deepest story. But Witcher 3 is the most popular and works as an entry point, and the Remastered edition is the best way to play it now. This is our editorial suggestion, not an official one. After the main game, play Hearts of Stone and then Blood and Wine.

Gwent

Gwent: The Witcher Card Game was a free-to-play spin-off with 25-card decks and best-of-three rounds. Official support ended in October 2023, and a physical edition arrived in 2025. Gwent remains a minigame inside Witcher 3, and a Gwent minigame is confirmed for Witcher IV.