TL;DR
- The level cap in The Witcher 3 Remastered is level 100 — but only if you have Blood and Wine.
- Without Blood and Wine, the cap is level 70.
- Quests are your best XP source. Monster grinding gives very little once you are over-levelled.
- You get 30 free skill points from Places of Power across the map.
- The Remastered update brings a reimagined skill tree with new abilities and better flexibility.
- Enable enemy upscaling to keep XP gains healthy as you push toward higher levels.
- Reaching level 100 naturally requires New Game Plus in most cases.
What Is the Level Cap in The Witcher 3 Remastered?
The Witcher 3 Remastered has a level cap of 100 for Geralt. That is the hard ceiling. Once you hit it, you stop earning XP from anything — quests, kills, or anything else.
There is one important condition though. You only reach level 100 if you have the Blood and Wine expansion installed. Without it, the cap sits at level 70. The Hearts of Stone DLC does not raise the cap on its own.
The good news is that since the Remastered launch on 29 September 2026, CD Projekt Red made both Hearts of Stone and Blood and Wine free for all existing owners. So if you already own the base game, you should have access to the full level 100 cap automatically. Check our free upgrade guide if you are unsure how to claim your copy.
How Much XP Does Each Level Need?
The Witcher 3 uses a flat XP-per-level system rather than an exponential curve. Each level requires exactly 1,000 XP to complete. That does not change whether you are level 5 or level 95. The challenge is not the XP needed per level — it is that XP rewards from quests and enemies scale down sharply as Geralt out-levels content.
This is the part that catches people out. The game is not slow to level up early. It starts feeling slow around level 40 to 50 when most of the main story content is below your level and handing out reduced rewards.
All XP Sources in The Witcher 3 Remastered
Main Quests
Main quests are your biggest single source of XP in the game. A major story beat can hand you 500 to 1,000 XP at once. No other activity comes close to that in a single hit. Always stay close to the recommended level for main quests. If you over-level them by doing too many side quests first, you will receive a reduced reward. The rule of thumb: if you are more than five or six levels above the quest, you are already losing XP.
Side Quests
Side quests give strong XP too. More importantly, they keep your level moving between main story chapters. Short dialogue-heavy side quests can often reward more XP than long combat-heavy ones. Do not skip them. The key is timing — complete them while they are still at or near your current level.
Witcher Contracts
Contracts are one of the best XP sources in the game. They scale well and stay relevant for longer stretches of the campaign compared to regular side quests. They also pay well in crowns and reward you with a monster trophy for Roach. Always take contracts at the recommended level for the full payout.
Monster Kills
Killing monsters gives you between 1 and 48 XP per kill depending on level difference. That range tells you everything. If the enemy is close to your level, you get decent XP. If the monster is six or more levels below you, you will see almost nothing — sometimes just 1 or 2 XP per kill. Pure monster grinding is not efficient in this game unless you pair it with enemy upscaling. More on that below.
Monster Nests and Abandoned Sites
Blowing up a monster nest or clearing an abandoned site rewards around 120 to 170 XP each. These are quick wins. They are scattered across the map and easy to clear on the way to a quest. Do not save them for later or the XP drops off once you over-level the area.
Gwent and Fistfights
Beating Gwent players and winning fistfights both give small amounts of XP. It is not a lot, but these activities are quick and you encounter them naturally while exploring. Check noticeboards in towns to find Gwent players. Every little bit adds up when you are grinding for a level push.
Axii Sign in Dialogues
Using the Axii sign in conversation to influence an NPC rewards 40 XP each time. You need the Delusion upgrade at level 3 to get this consistently. It is a flat bonus on top of any quest XP and it adds up more than people expect over a full playthrough. When you have the option to use Axii in a dialogue, use it.
Places of Power: Free Skill Points You Must Not Miss
Places of Power are some of the most important stops on your journey through The Continent. Each one you activate for the first time grants you one free ability point. There are 30 Places of Power spread across White Orchard, Velen, Novigrad, Skellige, Kaer Morhen, Toussaint, and one hidden in a quest portal.
These ability points work like extra levels — they let you unlock skills without needing to grind XP for them. If you are planning a specific build, finding Places of Power early is one of the smartest things you can do. In New Game Plus, all Places of Power reset and grant skill points again, so you can collect up to 60 total across two playthroughs.
The Remastered skill tree has been fully reimagined, making these free points even more valuable. You have new ability options and better access to high-tier skills earlier. See our skill tree guide and our best builds guide for how to spend them wisely.
The Witcher 3 Remastered Skill System Changes
The Remastered update on 29 September 2026 brought a completely reimagined skill tree. CD Projekt Red replaced the old tier-by-tier system with a more flexible modern tree. You no longer need to spend a set number of points in each tier just to unlock the skills you actually want. You can build your character more efficiently and reach powerful upgrades earlier.
All five Witcher Signs — Aard, Igni, Yrden, Quen, and Axii — now have new visual effects in Remastered as well. The skill bonus values have been rebalanced across the board, so returning players should not assume their old build from the 2022 next-gen version still works the same way.
For a full breakdown of the changes, read our Patch 5.0 changes guide. For build strategies tailored to the new tree, check our Remastered best builds page.
How to Level Up Fast in The Witcher 3 Remastered
Follow the Quest Level Colour
Every quest shows a recommended level. If the quest colour is green or white, you are at or near the right level. If it is grey, you have already out-levelled it and the XP will be low. Prioritise quests that are at or slightly above your current level. Do not skip ahead too fast or you will burn XP value.
Turn On Enemy Upscaling
Enemy upscaling is a setting in the game menu that automatically adjusts enemy levels to match Geralt’s current level. This might sound like it just makes the game harder. In practice, it keeps your XP flowing. Without it, enemies in areas you have already explored hand out almost nothing. With it on, every fight stays meaningful. Turn it on and leave it on. It is especially important during the mid-game push from level 30 to 50.
Do Contracts at the Right Time
Witcher contracts give the most reliable XP of any repeatable activity. The trick is doing them at the recommended level. If you wait until a contract is ten levels below you, the reward is gutted. Pick up contracts from noticeboards as you go and do them promptly rather than saving them all for later.
Equip a Monster Trophy on Roach
The Noonwraith Trophy is one of the most useful early trophies in the game. When equipped on Roach, it grants a 5% XP bonus from humans and monsters. That might sound tiny but over hundreds of kills across a full playthrough it adds up considerably. You can get this trophy by completing the Witcher contract called Devil by the Well, which is available very early in Velen.
Use New Game Plus to Reach Level 100
Most players finish The Witcher 3 with every DLC completed and land somewhere between level 40 and 55. Reaching level 100 naturally within a single playthrough is very difficult because the XP requirements stack up and quest content runs out. New Game Plus is the realistic path to level 100. You carry your level, skills, and equipment into a fresh run where quests reward more XP and the challenge stays alive with enemy upscaling.
Do Not Grind Low-Level Monsters
This is the mistake most new players make. Running circuits of drowners or wolves because they respawn quickly feels productive. It is not. Once those enemies are well below your level, the XP per kill collapses to almost nothing. If you want to grind kills, fight enemies near or above your current level with upscaling turned on — or spend your time doing quests instead.
What Happens When You Hit Level 100?
Once Geralt hits level 100, all XP gain stops. Quests still complete and enemies still die but the XP bar does not move. The game does not crash or break — it just stops tracking progression. Monsters also cap out at level 105, which means the world stays challenging even at the ceiling.
If you start New Game Plus at level 100, quests can have recommended levels up to 140, which are well above where Geralt can ever go. A strong build matters a lot at this stage. See our Remastered gear reforging guide for how to keep your equipment competitive at the level cap.
How Long Does It Take to Reach the Level Cap?
Most players reach somewhere between level 40 and 55 by completing the base game plus both DLCs in a single playthrough. Getting to level 100 requires either New Game Plus or a significant amount of targeted XP farming. A 100% completion run including all side quests, contracts, and both DLCs can take upward of 170 to 188 hours. Even then, level 100 is not guaranteed without New Game Plus. For a breakdown of how long the full game takes, see our Witcher 3 how long to beat guide.
Songs of the Past and New Content in the Remaster
If you are jumping into the Remaster fresh, it is worth knowing that the Songs of the Past DLC is also part of the complete package. Our Songs of the Past guide covers everything you need to know about this new content, including whether it is included in the Remastered upgrade in our Songs of the Past inclusion guide.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the max level in The Witcher 3 Remastered?
The maximum level in The Witcher 3 Remastered is level 100. This cap requires the Blood and Wine expansion. Without Blood and Wine, the cap is level 70. Both DLCs are now free for all existing owners as of the Remastered launch.
How many skill points can you get in total?
You earn one skill point per level, plus up to 30 additional points from Places of Power. In a full playthrough to level 100, you could collect up to 129 ability points before DLC bonuses. In New Game Plus you can collect the 30 Place of Power points again for even more.
Does difficulty affect XP in The Witcher 3 Remastered?
No. Changing the difficulty setting does not increase or decrease XP rewards. What affects XP is the level difference between Geralt and the quest or enemy, not the difficulty you are playing on.
Is enemy upscaling worth turning on?
Yes. Enemy upscaling adjusts enemy levels to match Geralt’s current level. This keeps XP rewards from collapsing in areas you have already explored. It makes the game harder in those areas but it also keeps progression moving. Turn it on, especially from the mid-game onwards.
Can you reach level 100 in one playthrough without New Game Plus?
It is very difficult. Most players finish the base game and both DLCs between level 40 and 55. Level 100 almost always requires New Game Plus, where quests offer more XP and the challenge resets. Some players grind with enemy upscaling in Blood and Wine’s Toussaint region to push further, but it is a long haul without a second playthrough.
What is the fastest way to get XP early in the game?
Do main quests at the recommended level, pick up Witcher contracts from noticeboards and complete them promptly, clear monster nests on the way between locations, and use Axii in dialogue whenever the option appears. Equip the Noonwraith Trophy on Roach as soon as you unlock it for the 5% XP bonus on kills.
Does the Witcher 3 Remastered skill tree change how levelling works?
The core XP system is unchanged. You still earn one ability point per level and one extra point per Place of Power. What changed is the skill tree itself — it is now more flexible with new abilities, better access to high-tier skills, and rebalanced bonus values. How you spend your points has changed, but how you earn them has not. Read our full skill tree guide for the new layout.
