'The Witcher 3' news: 'Blood and Wine' DLC release date in 1st half of 2016

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"The Witcher 3: The Wild Hunt" fans are anticipating the arrival of its latest DLC called "Blood and Wine" as the new content is expected to revolutionize the way the game is played. Last year, CD Projekt Red released 16 pieces of free DLC content, but the latest expansion is touted to be even better than previous content as it is said to be "more refined" than the main game.

"Blood and Wine" was originally slated to arrive in the first quarter of 2016 but is said to have now shifted to the first half of 2016. At the very latest, the expansion will most likely be released in June. A specific release date has yet to be announced.

CD Projekt Red marketing lead Michal Platkow-Gilewski spoke with Gamespot and said that "Blood and Wine" is the sum of all the experiences they gained while creating "Wild Hunt."

"So it's definitely more refined than 'Wild Hunt' in many regards," said Platkow-Gilewski.

It was reported that the new DLC is double the length of the first multi-hour story expansion called "Hearts of Stone." The game developer previously said that "The Witcher 3's" two expansions combined amount to almost the size of the second installment of the gaming franchise, with "Blood and Wine" expected to offer 20 hours of gameplay.

Platkow-Gilewski said that players can expect new monsters, quests, and places of interest in the upcoming DLC. He also revealed that the content's new realm, Touissant, rivals the size of those found in the main game.

While the DLC has yet to be released, never-before-seen "The Witcher 3" statues were revealed at New York Toy Fair over the weekend. According to IGN, CD Projekt Red partnered with Gentle Giant and Dark Horse to create figures of "Witcher 3" characters Triss, Yennefer, Ciri, and Eredin. The figures are still in their prototype phase and could still change before the release date. All figures will be available in September 2016 for $30 each.