The Witcher 3: Hearts of Stone Trailer Strikes a Deal With an Old Friend

CD Projekt Red has released a new trailer for Hearts of Stone, the first major expansion for its critically acclaimed RPG, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt.

The trailer sets up the events of the expansion, in which Geralt of Rivia finds himself dealing with the immortal Olgierd von Everec, a bandit captain that himself is plagued by the consequences of becoming an unkillable human.

According to its developer, the Hearts of Stone expansion will add about 10 hours of gameplay, introducing new characters and powerful monsters, as well as a unique romance. As with the main game, the storyline will be shaped by a player's choices.

Players will travel to an area called No Man's Land, and another called Oxenfurt, where Quests will be assigned by the "mysterious Man of Glass," who was first encountered at the start of the main campaign.

"Step again into the shoes of Geralt of Rivia, a professional monster slayer, this time hired to defeat a ruthless bandit captain, Olgierd von Everec, a man who possesses the power of immortality," the official Hearts of Stone description reads.

"The expansion lets you choose your own path through an experience that includes recruiting a crew of break-in artists, spending a night partying with a ghost, and outsmarting the most bizarre creatures Geralt has ever faced."

Hearts of Stone also adds a new "Runeworld" system that its developer says "significantly" affects gameplay: "Each Runeword will impact different aspects of in-game mechanics, allowing players to experiment with various strategies and tactics."

CD Projekt Red has announced The Witcher 3: Hearts of Stone release date as October 13. A second paid expansion, Blood and Wine, is set to become available before April 2016.

For more on the expansion, read GameSpot's The Witcher 3: Hearts of Stone hands-on impressions. You can also read our interview with game director Konrad Tomaszkiewicz.