The Witcher 3 Achievement Guide: Complete 100% Roadmap

The Witcher 3 packs 78 achievements across the main story, Hearts of Stone DLC, Blood and Wine DLC, Gwent card collection, witcher gear sets, combat challenges, and the brutal Death March difficulty. Most unlock naturally during a thorough playthrough. The big grinds come from Gwent collection, Death March completion, and combat-specific challenges.

This guide breaks down every achievement by category with unlock tips and a recommended completion order.

Quick Stats

Total Achievements: 78
Estimated Completion Time: 150-250 hours
Difficulty: Hard
Online Required: No
Missable Achievements: Several (multiple playthroughs or careful save management required)

Main Story Progression

Lilac and Gooseberries

Unlock Rate: 60.6% (Common) Requirement: Hidden (story milestone)

How to Unlock: Complete the prologue and meet Yennefer.

Tips: Early-story unlock. Cannot be missed.

Family Counselor

Unlock Rate: 37.6% (Uncommon) Requirement: Hidden (story milestone)

How to Unlock: Complete the Bloody Baron questline in Velen.

Tips: Major story arc with branching outcomes. Complete all related quests including the children of the bog encounter.

Friends With Benefits

Unlock Rate: 34.1% (Uncommon) Requirement: Hidden (story milestone)

How to Unlock: Romance Triss or Yennefer.

Tips: Pick dialogue choices that support romance with one character. Don’t try to romance both or you’ll get Triple Threat instead.

Triple Threat

Unlock Rate: 31.4% (Uncommon) Requirement: Hidden (story milestone)

How to Unlock: Attempt to romance both Yennefer and Triss in the same playthrough.

Tips: Pick romantic dialogue options with both. Results in both abandoning Geralt at Kaer Morhen.

A Friend in Need

Unlock Rate: 30.8% (Uncommon) Requirement: Hidden (story milestone)

How to Unlock: Help a major story companion (Keira, Vesemir, etc.) during their key story moment.

Tips: Tied to a specific Yennefer or Triss side mission. Choose to assist them.

Kingmaker

Unlock Rate: 24.9% (Rare) Requirement: Hidden (Skellige milestone)

How to Unlock: Get a specific character crowned ruler of Skellige.

Tips: Tied to the King’s Gambit / Possession quests. Multiple endings possible.

Something More

Unlock Rate: 24.8% (Rare) Requirement: Hidden (story milestone)

How to Unlock: Reunite Geralt and Ciri at Kaer Morhen.

Tips: Major late-game story beat. Cannot be missed if progressing main story.

The King is Dead

Unlock Rate: 22.2% (Rare) Requirement: Hidden (Skellige boss)

How to Unlock: Defeat Eredin during the final main story battle.

Tips: Final boss encounter. Stack Northern Wind bombs and Aard for ice phases.

Passed the Trial

Unlock Rate: 22.2% (Rare) Requirement: Finish the game on any difficulty

How to Unlock: Complete the main campaign.

Tips: 50-60 hour main story. Reach one of the three endings.

Full Crew

Unlock Rate: 19.2% (Rare) Requirement: Hidden (companion milestone)

How to Unlock: Recruit Triss, Yennefer, Keira, Letho, Roche, Ermion, Hjalmar, and other allies for the Battle of Kaer Morhen.

Tips: Complete every recruitment side quest before the Isle of Mists main story mission.

Pacta Sunt Servanda

Unlock Rate: 16.5% (Rare) Requirement: Hidden (Hearts of Stone milestone)

How to Unlock: Complete Hearts of Stone’s final pact moment.

Tips: Hearts of Stone DLC required. Make your final choice with Gaunter O’Dimm in the climax.

Assassin of Kings

Unlock Rate: 15.2% (Rare) Requirement: Hidden (story milestone)

How to Unlock: Tied to Letho’s questline or a specific main story choice.

Tips: Complete the Ghosts of the Past quest with Letho. Choose to help him survive.

Combat Achievements

Butcher of Blaviken

Unlock Rate: 51.3% (Common) Requirement: Kill at least 5 opponents in under 10 seconds

How to Unlock: Find a group of weaker enemies and chain attacks.

Tips: Bandit camps in Velen are ideal. Use Whirl skill and Northern Wind bomb for rapid kills.

Fist of the South Star

Unlock Rate: 49.3% (Uncommon) Requirement: Defeat an opponent in a fistfight without taking any damage

How to Unlock: Win a fistfight cleanly with perfect parries.

Tips: Parry timing is the key. Use the first inn fistfight in White Orchard for the easiest opportunity.

Can’t Touch This!

Unlock Rate: 43.0% (Uncommon) Requirement: Kill 5 foes in a fight without taking damage (except for Toxicity) and without using the Quen Sign

How to Unlock: Master rolling and counterattacks.

Tips: Use Igni for crowd control. Find low-level bandits for an easier attempt.

Environmentally Unfriendly

Unlock Rate: 29.1% (Rare) Requirement: Kill 50 opponents using the environment (e.g. swamp gas, insects or objects)

How to Unlock: Knock enemies into hazards or detonate environmental gas.

Tips: Use Aard on enemies near ledges. Ignite gas pockets in swamps with Igni.

Even Odds

Unlock Rate: 9.6% (Very Rare) Requirement: Kill 2 monsters you have a contract on without using Signs, potions, mutagens, oils or bombs

How to Unlock: Pure swordplay against contract monsters.

Tips: Pick easier contracts. Werewolves and lower-level griffons work well.

Brawler

Unlock Rate: 15.5% (Rare) Requirement: Defeat Olaf, the Skellige champion of unarmed combat

How to Unlock: Complete the Skellige fistfighting tournament.

Tips: Brawler difficulty in Skellige is higher than Velen. Master parry timing first.

Brawl Master

Unlock Rate: 13.8% (Very Rare) Requirement: Complete all fistfighting quests in Velen, Skellige and Novigrad

How to Unlock: Win every fistfight tournament across all three regions.

Tips: Don’t skip any tavern brawler NPCs. Each region has 3-5 fights.

Kaer Morhen Trained

Unlock Rate: 4.1% (Ultra Rare) Requirement: Perform 10 effective counterattacks in a row without getting hit or parrying

How to Unlock: Chain counterattacks against grouped enemies.

Tips: Counterattack timing is just before enemy strike connects. Practice on bandits with predictable patterns.

Can Quit Anytime I Want

Unlock Rate: 3.8% (Ultra Rare) Requirement: Be under the influence of seven potions or decoctions at the same time

How to Unlock: Drink 7 different potions/decoctions before they expire.

Tips: Prepare in advance. Use Killer Whale, Cat, Tawny Owl, Petri’s Philter, plus 3 decoctions for full overlap.

Walked the Path

Unlock Rate: 3.6% (Ultra Rare) Requirement: Finish the game on the “Death March!” difficulty level

How to Unlock: Complete the full campaign on the hardest difficulty.

Tips: Death March disables auto-leveling and increases enemy damage. Stack mutations and decoctions. Plan 50-60 hours.

Return to Sender

Unlock Rate: 3.4% (Ultra Rare) Requirement: Kill 3 opponents with their own arrows

How to Unlock: Use Aard or Counter to redirect arrows back.

Tips: Counter-attack arrows during fistfights or combat with archer enemies. Counter at last second redirects them.

That Is the Evilest Thing

Unlock Rate: 3.1% (Ultra Rare) Requirement: Ignite the gas produced by a Dragon’s Dream bomb using a burning opponent. Do this 10 times.

How to Unlock: Throw Dragon’s Dream, set enemy on fire with Igni, let them walk into gas cloud.

Tips: Stack burning enemies near gas clouds. Use Igni Sign mutation for guaranteed burn.

Overkill

Unlock Rate: 3.0% (Ultra Rare) Requirement: Make an opponent suffer from bleeding, poisoning and burning simultaneously. Do this 10 times.

How to Unlock: Apply all three damage-over-time effects on one enemy.

Tips: Use Hanged Man’s Venom (poison), Igni (burn), and a bleed weapon. Coat sword in poison oil for guaranteed poison.

The Enemy of My Enemy

Unlock Rate: 2.6% (Ultra Rare) Requirement: Use the Axii Sign to force one opponent to kill another. Do this 20 times.

How to Unlock: Use Puppet Axii mode to control enemies.

Tips: Requires Puppet skill. Crowds of weaker enemies make for easy triggers.

Humpty Dumpty

Unlock Rate: 2.0% (Ultra Rare) Requirement: Kill 10 opponents by knocking them off somewhere high with the Aard Sign

How to Unlock: Use Aard to push enemies off ledges.

Tips: Find Skellige cliffs or Novigrad rooftops. Knock enemies off for instant kills.

Master Marksman

Unlock Rate: 1.8% (Ultra Rare) Requirement: Kill 50 human and nonhuman opponents by striking them in the head with a crossbow bolt

How to Unlock: Use crossbow exclusively for headshots.

Tips: Aim mode (right click + left click) for precise shots. Practice on weak bandits to get the headshot angle right.

Witcher Contracts & Bosses

Shrieker

Unlock Rate: 30.6% (Uncommon) Requirement: Complete the contract on the shrieker

How to Unlock: Take the contract from White Orchard noticeboard.

Tips: Use Devil’s Puffball bomb for ranged damage during flight phases.

Fearless Vampire Slayer

Unlock Rate: 22.5% (Rare) Requirement: Complete the contract on Sarasti

How to Unlock: Find Sarasti’s contract during Hearts of Stone.

Tips: Hearts of Stone DLC required. Apply Vampire Oil to your silver sword.

Ashes to Ashes

Unlock Rate: 19.9% (Rare) Requirement: Complete the contract on Therazane

How to Unlock: Take Therazane’s contract in Velen.

Tips: Apply Specter Oil. Use Yrden to slow her during combat.

Fiend or Foe?

Unlock Rate: 18.2% (Rare) Requirement: Complete the contract on Morvudd

How to Unlock: Take the Morvudd contract in Toussaint (Blood and Wine).

Tips: Blood and Wine DLC required. Apply Relict Oil and use Northern Wind bombs.

Woodland Spirit

Unlock Rate: 12.6% (Very Rare) Requirement: Complete the contract on the Woodland Spirit

How to Unlock: Take the Woodland Spirit contract in Skellige.

Tips: Skellige contract. Use Specter Oil for ghost-form damage.

Witcher Gear

Armed and Dangerous

Unlock Rate: 17.3% (Rare) Requirement: Find and equip all the elements of one set of witcher gear

How to Unlock: Collect all 6 pieces (sword + 4 armor + crossbow) of any witcher school set.

Tips: Easiest school is Cat or Griffin. Find treasure hunt quests to get diagrams.

Dressed to Kill

Unlock Rate: 9.6% (Very Rare) Requirement: Unlock the bonus for equipping all the witcher gear elements from one School

How to Unlock: Find the enhanced/superior version of all pieces, then equip them.

Tips: Requires significant material gathering. Bear School and Wolf School require travel to Skellige and Kaer Morhen respectively.

Turned Every Stone

Unlock Rate: 7.7% (Very Rare) Requirement: Find all grandmaster diagrams for each witcher school

How to Unlock: Complete the Blood and Wine grandmaster smith quest line.

Tips: Blood and Wine DLC required. Find all 5 grandmaster diagrams scattered across Toussaint.

Embodiment of the Five Virtues

Unlock Rate: 12.1% (Very Rare) Requirement: Be given Aerondight by the Lady of the Lake

How to Unlock: Complete the There Can Be Only One side quest.

Tips: Blood and Wine DLC required. Defeat the Lady of the Lake’s challenger and answer her questions correctly.

Gwent Achievements

Geralt and Friends

Unlock Rate: 16.5% (Rare) Requirement: Win a round of gwent using only neutral cards

How to Unlock: Build a deck using only Neutral faction cards.

Tips: Neutral cards include Geralt, Yennefer, Triss, Ciri, and Olgierd. Use spy effects to draw extra cards.

All In

Unlock Rate: 15.5% (Rare) Requirement: Play three hero cards in one round of gwent and win the match

How to Unlock: Collect three high-strength hero cards and play them in a single round.

Tips: Easier with Northern Realms deck which includes many hero cards.

Gwent Master

Unlock Rate: 11.2% (Very Rare) Requirement: Defeat Tybalt and win the gwent tournament held at the Passiflora

How to Unlock: Complete the High Stakes side quest in Novigrad.

Tips: Bring your strongest deck. Tybalt has a hero-card-heavy build. Save before each match.

I Have a Gwent Problem

Unlock Rate: 7.0% (Very Rare) Requirement: Collect all the cards in the Skellige deck

How to Unlock: Win every Skellige card from merchants and innkeepers across Skellige.

Tips: Hearts of Stone DLC required for the Skellige deck. Play merchants and innkeepers across the islands.

Killed It

Unlock Rate: 5.5% (Very Rare) Requirement: Win a round of gwent with a total strength of at least 187

How to Unlock: Build a high-strength deck and chain buffs.

Tips: Use Commander’s Horn cards and Tight Bond units for massive strength stacks. Best with Northern Realms.

Card Collector

Unlock Rate: 4.8% (Ultra Rare) Requirement: Acquire all gwent cards available in the base version of the game

How to Unlock: Win every base game Gwent card from NPCs, merchants, and side quests.

Tips: Some cards are missable if you lose specific quests. Use guides to track each card’s source.

Exploration & Progression

Bookworm

Unlock Rate: 40.3% (Uncommon) Requirement: Read 30 books, journals or other documents

How to Unlock: Pick up and read in-game books from your inventory.

Tips: Open every book you find. Reading auto-completes when you select the item.

Globetrotter

Unlock Rate: 24.6% (Rare) Requirement: Discover 100 fast travel points

How to Unlock: Travel to every signpost across Velen, Novigrad, Skellige, and DLC regions.

Tips: Roughly 130 signposts exist. Use boats for Skellige islands.

Munchkin

Unlock Rate: 24.3% (Rare) Requirement: Reach character development level 35

How to Unlock: Earn XP through main story, side quests, and contracts.

Tips: Naturally unlocks during Blood and Wine playthrough. Complete all side content for fastest leveling.

Mutant

Unlock Rate: 26.3% (Rare) Requirement: Fill all mutagen slots

How to Unlock: Unlock 12 mutagen slots through character development.

Tips: Each ability tree has 4 mutagen slots. Unlock 3 across all trees.

Weapon “W”

Unlock Rate: 14.9% (Very Rare) Requirement: Develop a mutation

How to Unlock: Complete the Turn and Face the Strange quest in Blood and Wine, then research a mutation.

Tips: Blood and Wine DLC required. Mutations require Greater Mutagens which drop from major bosses.

Dendrologist

Unlock Rate: 7.6% (Very Rare) Requirement: Acquire all the Abilities in one tree

How to Unlock: Spend skill points to unlock every ability in Combat, Signs, or Alchemy tree.

Tips: Around 60 skill points per tree. Use Mutagens to convert skill points if needed.

Power Overwhelming

Unlock Rate: 5.1% (Very Rare) Requirement: Have all possible Place of Power bonuses active at the same time

How to Unlock: Visit every Place of Power for the temporary skill point bonus.

Tips: Visit them all in succession before any expire. Plan a route across Velen and Novigrad.

Hearts of Stone DLC

I’m Not Kissing That

Unlock Rate: 19.0% (Rare) Requirement: Hidden (Hearts of Stone milestone)

How to Unlock: Tied to a specific romantic choice during Hearts of Stone.

Tips: Hearts of Stone DLC required. Complete Iris von Everec’s storyline.

Xenonaut

Unlock Rate: 23.6% (Rare) Requirement: Hidden (Hearts of Stone milestone)

How to Unlock: Tied to Olgierd’s storyline progression.

Tips: Continue Hearts of Stone main quest progression.

Blood and Wine DLC

The Witcher’s Gone South

Unlock Rate: 19.1% (Rare) Requirement: Travel to the Duchy of Toussaint

How to Unlock: Start Blood and Wine by traveling to Toussaint.

Tips: First Blood and Wine achievement. Accept Anna Henrietta’s letter and travel south.

Playing House

Unlock Rate: 13.3% (Very Rare) Requirement: Use all available options for developing Corvo Bianco

How to Unlock: Upgrade Corvo Bianco vineyard with every available option.

Tips: Upgrade armor stand, herbarium, training dummy, alchemy bench, etc. Spend gold liberally.

Rad Steez, Bro!

Unlock Rate: 13.2% (Very Rare) Requirement: Hidden (Blood and Wine milestone)

How to Unlock: Tied to a specific Toussaint side quest involving horse stunts.

Tips: Complete the knight’s tournament events.

Last Action Hero

Unlock Rate: 13.1% (Very Rare) Requirement: Be decorated with the Order of Vitis Vinifera

How to Unlock: Complete the Blood and Wine main story.

Tips: Reach the Blood and Wine ending where Anna Henrietta awards Geralt for his service.

A Knight to Remember

Unlock Rate: 11.4% (Very Rare) Requirement: Obtain a flawless victory in all the competitions during the knights’ tourney

How to Unlock: Win all 5 tourney events without taking damage.

Tips: Includes jousting, melee, archery, and brawling. Bring your best gear and potions.

The Grapes of Wrath Stomped

Unlock Rate: 9.6% (Very Rare) Requirement: Hidden (Blood and Wine milestone)

How to Unlock: Tied to a wine-related side quest at Corvo Bianco.

Tips: Complete the Vineyards side missions involving rival vineyards.

Curator of Nightmares

Unlock Rate: 11.0% (Very Rare) Requirement: Hidden (Blood and Wine milestone)

How to Unlock: Complete a specific dream/nightmare-themed quest in Blood and Wine.

Tips: Tied to the Land of a Thousand Fables quest line.

Geralt: The Professional

Unlock Rate: 10.1% (Very Rare) Requirement: Hidden (Blood and Wine milestone)

How to Unlock: Complete every contract in Blood and Wine.

Tips: Take every contract noticeboard quest in Toussaint.

Wild Rose Dethorned

Unlock Rate: 6.8% (Very Rare) Requirement: Hidden (Blood and Wine milestone)

How to Unlock: Tied to a knight’s storyline conclusion.

Tips: Complete the Knight Errant side quests.

Shopaholic

Unlock Rate: 9.5% (Very Rare) Requirement: Hidden (Blood and Wine milestone)

How to Unlock: Buy items from many merchants in Toussaint.

Tips: Visit every merchant in Beauclair and outlying villages.

Let the Good Times Roll!

Unlock Rate: 8.6% (Very Rare) Requirement: Hidden (Blood and Wine milestone)

How to Unlock: Tied to throwing a party at Corvo Bianco.

Tips: Reach the Blood and Wine ending and trigger the celebration.

Kling of the Clink

Unlock Rate: 3.0% (Ultra Rare) Requirement: Serve time in Toussaint

How to Unlock: Get arrested by Toussaint guards.

Tips: Commit crimes (steal, fight guards) to trigger arrest. Choose to serve time in dialogue.

I Wore Ofieri Before It Was Cool

Unlock Rate: 2.7% (Ultra Rare) Requirement: Collect all available Ofieri armor and horse gear, and at least one Ofieri sword

How to Unlock: Buy or find every Ofieri item.

Tips: Hearts of Stone DLC required. Buy from the Ofieri merchant in Hierarch Square.

Monster Hunting

Necromancer

Unlock Rate: 29.3% (Rare) Requirement: Hidden (story or contract milestone)

How to Unlock: Tied to a specific necromancy-themed quest in the main game.

Tips: Complete the In Wolf’s Clothing or similar quest in Skellige.

Fire in the Hole

Unlock Rate: 25.3% (Rare) Requirement: Destroy 10 monster nests using bombs

How to Unlock: Find monster nests in the wild and throw bombs to destroy them.

Tips: Yellow nests in Velen and Skellige. Carry Dragon’s Dream or Devil’s Puffball bombs.

Pest Control

Unlock Rate: 8.5% (Very Rare) Requirement: Destroy all monster nests in the Velen / Novigrad region, or in Skellige

How to Unlock: Use the Question Mark filter to find every nest and destroy them all.

Tips: Easier to clear Velen + Novigrad than Skellige (no boat travel needed).

Hidden Achievements

The Doppler Effect

Unlock Rate: 23.8% (Rare) Requirement: Resolve the doppler problem in Novigrad

How to Unlock: Complete the A Matter of Life and Death or Get Junior questlines involving Dudu the doppler.

Tips: Help Dudu and Triss escape Novigrad during the witch hunt.

Bombardier

Unlock Rate: 33.0% (Uncommon) Requirement: Collect the formulae for 6 different bomb types

How to Unlock: Loot or buy bomb formulas across the world.

Tips: Most bomb formulas drop from monster bestiary research and merchant purchases.

Let’s Cook!

Unlock Rate: 45.1% (Uncommon) Requirement: Learn 12 potion formulae

How to Unlock: Buy or loot potion formulas.

Tips: Each town merchant sells different formulas. Don’t skip the Skellige alchemists.

Fast and Furious

Unlock Rate: 9.9% (Very Rare) Requirement: Win all the horse races in the game

How to Unlock: Win every horse race side quest across all regions.

Tips: Includes Velen, Novigrad, Skellige, and Blood and Wine races. Some require Roach upgrades.

David and Golyat

Unlock Rate: 3.1% (Ultra Rare) Requirement: Hidden achievement

How to Unlock: Tied to a giant boss encounter.

Tips: Complete the Skellige main story or contracts involving giants.

What Was That?

Unlock Rate: 3.0% (Ultra Rare) Requirement: Hidden achievement

How to Unlock: Tied to a specific environmental kill or pop-culture reference.

Tips: Possibly involves catching enemies with a specific trap or environmental hazard.

Moo-rderer

Unlock Rate: 2.9% (Ultra Rare) Requirement: Hidden achievement

How to Unlock: Tied to the cow-killing exploit or a specific bovine boss.

Tips: Reference to the infamous Witcher 3 cow farming exploit that was patched out. May involve killing a cow boss.

When It’s Many Against One…

Unlock Rate: 2.6% (Ultra Rare) Requirement: Hidden achievement

How to Unlock: Tied to defeating an overwhelming group of enemies.

Tips: Survive a high-difficulty ambush. Stack defensive potions and Quen.

Hasta la Vista™

Unlock Rate: 2.2% (Ultra Rare) Requirement: Hidden achievement

How to Unlock: Tied to a Terminator-style execution sequence.

Tips: Pop-culture reference. May involve a specific dramatic kill animation.

Ran the Gauntlet

Unlock Rate: 6.6% (Very Rare) Requirement: Finish the game on the “Blood and Broken Bones!” or “Death March!” difficulty levels

How to Unlock: Complete the campaign on second-highest or highest difficulty.

Tips: Easier than Walked the Path. Blood and Broken Bones is the recommended grind difficulty.

100% Completion Roadmap

Phase 1: Main Story (50-70 hours)

Complete the main campaign on any difficulty
Collect Witcher gear sets along the way
Knock out combat achievements (Butcher of Blaviken, Fist of the South Star, etc.)
Trigger story-specific achievements (Family Counselor, Friends With Benefits, Full Crew)

P2: Hearts of Stone DLC (15-20 hours)

Complete Hearts of Stone main story
Collect Skellige Gwent deck cards
Complete Hearts of Stone contracts (Sarasti)

P3: Blood and Wine DLC (30-40 hours)

Travel to Toussaint
Upgrade Corvo Bianco fully (Playing House)
Complete Blood and Wine main story
Win the Knights’ Tourney flawlessly (A Knight to Remember)
Develop a mutation (Weapon “W”)
Find all grandmaster diagrams (Turned Every Stone)
Get Aerondight (Embodiment of the Five Virtues)

P4: Gwent Mastery (15-25 hours)

Win all 5 Gwent decks
Win High Stakes tournament (Gwent Master)
Collect all base game cards (Card Collector)
Complete Skellige deck (I Have a Gwent Problem)

P5: Combat Grind (20-30 hours)

Master counterattacks (Kaer Morhen Trained)
Crossbow headshot 50 enemies (Master Marksman)
Use Axii Puppet on 20 enemies (The Enemy of My Enemy)
Stack three damage-over-time effects 10 times (Overkill)
Aard 10 enemies off cliffs (Humpty Dumpty)

P6: Death March Playthrough (50-70 hours)

Start a new playthrough on Death March difficulty
Complete the main campaign (Walked the Path)
Knock out any missed missable achievements

Conclusion

The Witcher 3’s 78 achievements demand 150-250 hours of focused play including both DLCs and a Death March playthrough. The base game and DLCs naturally unlock around 50 achievements. The remaining 25+ achievements require dedicated grinding for combat challenges, Gwent collection, and hardest difficulty completion.

Plan to do most of your collecting during a single playthrough. Use save scumming for missable achievements like Triple Threat and ending variants. Save Death March for last when you have full knowledge of enemy patterns and quest paths.

The Gwent grind is the most time-consuming non-combat task. Build relationships with every innkeeper and merchant early so you have a strong deck by the time you reach Skellige.