Whether you like it or hate it, Netflix’s The Witcher series has been the topic of many conversations this week. From folks talking about the irritatingly catchy song I refuse to name, to speculation on the next season, The Witcher has starred in many a discussion lately. One such subject, however, is the impact the show has on the game series by CD Projekt RED. According to Steam Database, more people are playing The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt now than when the game launched more than four years ago.
To be fair, the majority of people who have the game played it on GOG as opposed to Steam. Still, those starting up the game — either as a return or for the first time — outnumber that of when the game actually came out. It’s impressive, really, how much Netflix’s show has convince people to brave the dangerous wilds of Geralt’s world once more. Yesterday, the game saw a peak of 94,651 players as opposed to more than 92,000 at launch.
Toss $12 to your witcher
The reason for the spike is clearly the show, but it no doubt had some help. At the moment, you can buy The Witcher 3 for only $12 USD over at Steam. It’s a humble price for the 100+ hour RPG masterpiece of 2015. Many players view the game as one of, if not the, best games of the decade. If you travel over to GOG, however, you can get the Game of the Year edition for only $2 USD more, and it comes with all the fantastic DLC missions. I highly suggest you check those out; Blood and Wine is worth a game all by itself.
Of course, the main reason could possibly be that people actually like the Netflix show, and want to experience the Witcher world more personally. Despite this, the show’s quality has been been a hot debate since its December 20 release date. Some say it’s not all that great, while others love it. People have praised Henry Cavill’s take on the witcher Geralt, while also sharing good words for Anya Chalotra (Yennefer) and Joey Batey (Jaskier, aka Dandelion). For me, personally, I enjoyed the show. But I do feel for those who didn’t read the books beforehand, as its constant time skips during the first half must have been a tad confusing.
Regardless, excitement for The Witcher is certainly at a new high. Whether you’re thinking of jumping back into its world, or are considering finding out what the hype is about, now has never been a better time. Hell, even I’ve been thinking about giving it another go, despite feeling accomplished after more than 150 hours played. Perhaps it’s time to try again. Maybe I’ll bring some mods along for the journey.
