The Witcher-based free-to-play card title GWENT: The Witcher Card Game made its way to Steam earlier this week.
Most people will remember The Witcher series for its beautiful locales, endearing characters, stunning set pieces, and award-winning narrative. But fans of the franchise know that the games run long, and players often need a break from monster hunting.
That’s where GWENT comes in.
The card-based mini-game was featured in The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt and was immediately loved by gamers for being surprisingly deep yet easy to pick up.
With GWENT being so popular among fans, developer CD Projekt Red had the idea to release it as a standalone title. Now the card game has finally arrived on Steam for millions of users to enjoy.
Witcher withdrawal? Here's some good news https://t.co/lYnhmbLPal
— NME (@NME) May 20, 2020
GWENT: The Witcher Card Game’s development and reception
GWENT started its open beta in May 2017, then made its standalone debut in October 2018 for Windows. It was subsequently released on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One towards the end of the year.
Developers also catered to mobile gamers, as GWENT was ported to iOS in October 2019, and Android in March of the following year.
While the game is best known for its multiplayer component, GWENT: The Witcher Card Game also features a single-player campaign called Thronebreaker: The Witcher Tales.
The Witcher spin-off title was lauded by gamers for its skill-based mechanics and equitable microtransaction system. It even received a nomination for the “Most Promising New eSports Game” at the SXSW Gaming Awards in 2019.
If you are a witcher 3 fan and like gwent you should definitely check out Thronebreaker: The Witcher Tales, it is an amazing game, cant believe many people didnt even heard about it, cd project truly goated pic.twitter.com/7msJ2s6MmD
— Nik (@NASOIAF) May 16, 2020
GWENT Masters
“GWENT Masters” is the name of the official eSports event surrounding GWENT: The Witcher Card Game.
Organized by CD Projekt Red, the series invites players from around the globe to go head-to-head with one another for a chance to claim the GWENT World Champion title.
The event is split into three parts: the Qualifiers, the Open, and finally, the World Masters. The Qualifiers dictate which players are eligible to participate in the Open.
The Gwent Open consists of four separate tournaments, each with a base prize pool of US$10,000 [AU$15,325]. Winnings aside, victors of the competition will also receive a guaranteed spot in the coming World Masters.
👑 GWENT Masters: Season 2 👑
Check out our new video explaining the updated format of @PlayGwent's official esports series!https://t.co/urP9w8U52F
— GWENT Masters (@GWENTMasters) March 25, 2020
A total of eight players will be selected to compete in the GWENT World Masters, the ultimate tier in the series. Winners will get the lion’s share of the tournament’s $50,000 base prize pool, as well as the title of “GWENT Masters World Champion.”
This year’s World Masters is set to kick off sometime in June. For more information about the upcoming event, check out the official GWENT Masters page here.
Play GWENT: The Witcher Card Game on Steam here.
Image courtesy of GWENT: The Witcher Card game/CD Projekt Red