15 Must-Have Mods for The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

There are games that have permanently secured an honorable place in the industry. Fans return to them time and time again to experience the same emotions they felt during their first playthrough. One such project can definitely be called The Witcher 3 — a cult RPG from CD Projekt Red.

However, time passes, and the game becomes outdated. Not long ago, a Next-Gen version was released, but that’s still not enough. To refresh another playthrough, we have compiled the 15 best mods and will now introduce them to you.

The Witcher 3 Mod Manager

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Let's start with a tool essential for modding the game. Of course, you can use Nexus Mods Manager, but for more precise control over files and scripts, this mod is preferable. The program allows you to quickly enable and disable modifications and, most importantly, helps fix compatibility issues. After all, improvements here don’t go as smoothly as in Bethesda’s projects, so caution is needed.

Always Full Exp (Next-Gen)

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During a subsequent playthrough, some players want to make their journey easier, while others prefer to make it more challenging. It’s not just about the difficulty of battles with monsters but also about the experience points that determine leveling. Always Full Exp allows you to finely adjust the experience gain coefficient, which can fundamentally change the entire gameplay.

There are several settings available. Players can set to receive 100% experience regardless of difficulty, get a mixed coefficient, or add hardcore elements by reducing the total experience gained. A very cool mod.

The Witcher 3 HD Reworked Project

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Even with the release of the Next-Gen version, this comprehensive mod has not lost its relevance. If you don’t want to install the new version of the game, the Reworked Project will definitely come in handy. It’s an incredible work with the highest number of downloads.

What do we get after installation? Completely updated graphics! The developer has changed almost all textures without altering the original game style. Additionally, the polygon meshes of models have been modified so that hexagonal logs become round.

New shaders for more realistic lighting have also been added, and moreover, the mod is compatible with another lighting upgrade, which I will discuss below.

Super Turbo Lighting Mod

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When The Witcher 3 was released, many noticed that the game looked quite different from the E3 trailers. The problem was the lighting, which made the visuals equally bright in all locations. The very atmosphere that fans fell in love with while watching the trailer was lost.

Super Turbo Lighting Mod makes the visuals more diverse and lively. Realistic reflections, weather effects, and even rays of light have appeared. Now, each location has its specific lighting, adding depth to the immersion. The swamp of Velen, which is always gloomy and foggy, looks especially cool.

All Quest Objectives On Map

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It’s no surprise that this is one of the most downloaded files on NexusMods. During a subsequent playthrough, you no longer want to search for each quest. The mod’s working principle is very simple — it displays all active quests on the map, significantly speeding up the tenth playthrough.

What’s especially good is that even armor collection quests for different schools are highlighted, so you won’t have to peek under every bush to find a clue. Additionally, very convenient colored icons for various merchants have been added.

Indestructible Items

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This feature will definitely make your subsequent playthrough easier and save you from the headache of constantly breaking equipment. During the first immersion in the game, such a feature is even delightful because you have to take care of your armor and weapons, just like in the books or the series. However, you don’t want to go through this procedure for the hundredth time.

Indestructible Items makes all equipment 100% durable and disables wear and tear. Again, this is one of the most downloaded files.

Slots Slots SLOTS

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In my opinion, without this mod, a new playthrough is simply impossible, though it’s also worth installing for the first time. Why? Because Slots Slots SLOTS makes leveling up in The Witcher 3 as interesting and varied as possible. With this upgrade, the witcher gains more slots for skills and mutagens, significantly expanding the combat style.

The main thing is that the leveling system expansion can be finely tuned. Want to create the most dangerous monster killer? Then upgrade absolutely everything! Don’t want to destroy the game’s delicate balance — there’s an option for that with fine-tuning as well.

Increased Creature Loot

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Another must-install file is Increased Creature Loot, which fixes one of the most unfair mechanics in the game. Anyone who has played the original knows how hard it is to gather resources from monsters and animals, and it all seems very illogical. Killing 15 wolves for two hearts? That’s nonsense!

The mod corrects this unfairness, and now more resources drop from each creature. Don’t think this will significantly ease the playthrough, because in reality, you’ll be free from tedious grinding.

Better Trophies

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Remember the first griffin you killed? Yes, it was a great battle, and now a severed monster head hangs in the Pontva, showing everyone who the real witcher is. However, there is one huge downside — boring bonuses with small stats. You defeated one of the scariest monsters, and as a reward, you get this?! Horrible.

Better Trophies changes the bonuses from collected trophies, making them more valuable and unique. Now, every hunt for a legendary monster becomes a truly useful activity, not just another quest for advancing the storyline.

Geralt Cloak

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The E3 trailer was memorable not only for its graphics but also for Geralt’s appearance. There, he was shown in his dusty cloak, which protects against rain and dust. It looked amazing, but in the game, we never saw this main attribute. It’s disappointing, but mod creators came to the rescue with Geralt Cloak.

Now, the cool cloak will always be worn by the hero, and there is even a separate slot in the inventory for it. Yes, you won’t have to switch a cool armor for a fabric cape, and you can enjoy the view of a rugged monster hunter.

Lore-friendly Witchers

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Since we paid attention to the lore-friendly appearance of Geralt, it’s worth changing another aspect missed in the original game. Surely, you’ve noticed that passersby say, "You’re pale as death! Are you sick?". Yes, the books clearly describe that a witcher has very pale skin and bright cat-like eyes. Unfortunately, on the screen, we don’t see this, and Geralt looks quite healthy.

This mod makes the skin tone lighter, adds dark circles under the eyes, and makes the eyes brighter. It may seem like a small detail, but such a feature deepens the immersion into the unfolding events.

4KRW - 4K Reworked Women Mod

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We’ve changed the main character, but what about our beautiful sorceresses and Ciri? Let’s make them even more beautiful with the 4KRW mod. The game’s engine isn’t the newest, so even the main characters sometimes don’t look very attractive. It’s especially disappointing when it comes to close characters like Yennefer, Triss, and Ciri.

Now, they will have 2K and 4K textures, noticeably improving the visuals. Moreover, a denser polygon mesh has been added, but that’s not all. Along with the graphics update, we also get new eyes, eyelashes, and hairstyles, making the trio the most beautiful characters in The Witcher 3!

Humans of the Continent 4K-2K Textures

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Let’s not stop there and upgrade absolutely all NPCs in the game! Yes, the mod will require good performance, but if your PC can handle it, it’s definitely worth trying. The problem remains the same — the characters look poor, and when it comes to ordinary residents of this world, they’re downright unpleasant to look at. They all seem to be molded from a piece of soap and constantly shine as if they’re wet.

Now, each NPC will have a high-resolution skin texture, and even a poor peasant afflicted with the plague will look better! Of course, the changes will also affect the main characters, so it’s not compatible with the previous mod.

Hoods

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Let’s return to the cool cloak for Geralt. The model from the E3 trailer is awesome, but that’s far from the limit. Fans’ creativity is much broader, and there is an opportunity to dress the monster hunter not only in a dusty cape but also in something better. This is where Hoods comes in.

There is something for every player’s taste. Various hats, masks, and cloaks not only highlight Geralt’s character but also match certain atmospheres. For example, on the islands of Skellige, you can wear a cool wolf pelt cloak, just like a Viking.

The Gwent Card Dealer

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Do you think I forgot about Gwent? No, the coolest thing I left for last is the card dealer that will appear in the game. Yes, searching for cards gives a certain purpose to travels, but you really want to build a strong deck, especially during a subsequent playthrough. Now, this is possible.

You’ll find the merchant fairly quickly, as he is located in Crow’s Perch — the baron’s headquarters. He will sell 99% of the cards available in the game, but obtaining them is not easy. You’ll have to spend quite a bit of gold, but it’s definitely worth it.

In total, 15 mods for The Witcher 3 can significantly refresh the game, and this is just the basic collection. There are many more interesting additions on NexusMods, so this game won’t lose its relevance anytime soon.

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