Mastering The Witcher 3 New Game Plus: Essential Tips & Guide

Embarking on The Witcher 3 new game plus is a rite of passage for every dedicated monster hunter. If you have completed your journey across the Northern Realms and the Toussaint duchy, you might be wondering if it is worth starting over. The answer is a resounding yes, as The Witcher 3 new game plus offers a fresh, challenging perspective on the narrative while allowing you to retain your hard-earned power, gold, and specialized gear.

Transitioning into this mode isn't just about restarting the story; it is about bringing your expertise, alchemy recipes, and favorite weapons into a world where enemies are scaled to match your high level. Whether you are aiming to try a new build, explore different story outcomes, or simply enjoy the combat with maxed-out abilities, proper preparation is the key to success. In this guide, we will break down exactly how to prepare for your second run and maximize your efficiency from the very first hour.

Understanding The Witcher 3 New Game Plus Mechanics

Before diving back into the world, it is vital to understand how the mode functions. The Witcher 3 new game plus is an unlockable mode that carries over your character's level, abilities, and most of your inventory. However, the game resets your story progress, map exploration, and quest items, ensuring the world feels like a fresh start while maintaining your progression.

One of the most significant changes is enemy scaling. Enemies in the early game (like those in White Orchard) will be significantly stronger than they were in your first playthrough. This shift ensures that you cannot simply breeze through the early game without paying attention to your combat mechanics.

What Carries Over vs. What Resets

Preparing Your Stash and Inventory

Many players make the mistake of jumping into the new mode without organizing their inventory first. According to community reports and veteran players, the most crucial step is cleaning out your stash and inventory at your estate in Corvo Bianco or a Novigrad stash location.

Before you initiate the save, take time to sell items you no longer need. You want to enter the new game with a clean slate, carrying only your most valuable equipment. Why? Because you will be picking up new, higher-level loot immediately, and a cluttered inventory will only slow you down.

Essential Pre-Start Checklist

• Sell Junk: Clear out unnecessary swords, armor, and crafting components that you have in excess.
• Maximize Mutagens: These are notoriously difficult to farm in the early game. Ensure you have a healthy supply of Greater Red, Blue, and Green mutagens.
• Crafting Materials: Keep rare crafting materials, but sell off common items that can be easily found again.
• Clear the Stash: Only keep items you truly intend to use for the first 10-20 levels of your new run.

Essential Gear and Items to Keep

When playing The Witcher 3 new game plus, your gear becomes your lifeline. While you will eventually replace your starting gear with "Legendary" variants of Witcher sets, some items are worth holding onto because of their unique scaling properties or utility.

The most prominent example is the Aerondight silver sword. This weapon is widely considered the best in the game because it levels up with you. If you have it fully upgraded from your first playthrough, it will serve you well into the late stages of your new game. Similarly, the Winter's Blade is a fantastic steel sword option because its damage scales with your character level, making it a reliable companion even as you face tougher foes.

Top Weapons to Carry Over

Remember, you do not need to keep every piece of armor. Focus on keeping your favorite Witcher school gear sets (like Wolven or Grandmaster sets). These provide the necessary resistances and perks that will help you survive the initial encounters in White Orchard.

Alchemy and Mutations: What Carries Over?

Alchemy is the backbone of a high-level build. The good news is that all your alchemy recipes and formulas carry over into The Witcher 3 new game plus. This is a massive advantage. In a standard playthrough, you spend hours hunting for specific recipes. In your second run, you have access to every potion, oil, and decoction from the very beginning.

If you have invested heavily in the Mutation system (introduced in the Blood and Wine expansion), these also carry over. This allows you to maintain powerful builds, such as those utilizing "Euphoria," right from the start. Already unlocked mutations remain available in New Game Plus; you do not need to repeat the expansion quest to unlock them again.

Why Alchemy Matters in NG+

• Acquired Tolerance: With all your recipes carried over, your maximum toxicity level will be high, allowing you to use multiple decoctions simultaneously.
• Early Game Advantage: Having access to superior oils and potions means you can take down high-level monsters early on by exploiting their weaknesses.
• No Farming: You won't need to waste time searching for basic formulas, letting you focus on the story or side quests.

Places of Power and Character Development

One of the most efficient ways to prepare for The Witcher 3 new game plus is to ensure you have collected all available Places of Power in your previous save. While these locations reset in the new game, having the extra skill points from your first run allows you to flesh out your character build significantly before even starting the new questline.

Community insights suggest that if you are struggling with a specific build, use your "Potion of Clearance" before starting the new game. This allows you to reset your ability points and reallocate them into a build that is more suited for the challenges ahead, such as a heavy Alchemy or Sign-focused build which often performs better in the scaling environment of the higher difficulty levels.

Strategy for Skill Points

1. Reallocate: Use the Potion of Clearance to experiment with a new build.
2. Focus: Maximize skills that provide passive bonuses, as these remain useful regardless of your gear.
3. Expansion: If you have the Blood and Wine expansion, ensure your mutation tree is as filled out as possible, as the extra ability slots provided by mutations are invaluable.

Tips for a Smooth Second Run

Starting a fresh run can feel daunting, but it is also the perfect time to experience the game differently. If you focused on a combat-heavy playstyle in your first run, consider trying a Sign-based or Alchemy-focused build this time around. The Witcher 3 new game plus is the ideal environment to experiment because you are not limited by early-game skill point restrictions.

Also, do not shy away from the higher difficulty settings. If you played on "Story and Sword" previously, bumping the difficulty up to "Death March" in your second run can provide a much more rewarding experience, especially when you have all the tools, bombs, and oils at your disposal.

You can find the official store page for the game here: The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt on Steam.

Common Pitfalls to Avoid

• Ignoring Enemy Scaling: Do not assume you are invincible. Even with top-tier gear, high-level enemies will hit hard.
• Forgetting to Loot: Even though you have money, looting is still the best way to find rare crafting components.
• Skipping Side Quests: While you may want to rush the main story, side quests are still the primary source of XP and character development.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Does starting The Witcher 3 new game plus overwrite my original save? No, the game creates a separate save file for your new run. Your original "completed" save remains untouched, so you can always go back to it if you wish.

Can I start a new game plus from a new game plus save? No, the game only allows one cycle of New Game Plus. You cannot stack them indefinitely.

Is the difficulty higher in the new mode? Yes, enemies are scaled up to your current level. If you start at level 50, even the weakest wolves in White Orchard will be level 50+, making the combat feel consistently challenging throughout the entire game.

What should I do with my quest items? Most quest items are automatically removed because they are tied to specific story events that have been reset. Do not worry about losing them; you will reacquire what you need as you progress through the narrative again.