On September 29, 2026, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt received a Remaster 11 years after its original release. This update, developed by CD Projekt RED, updated the game’s visuals and gameplay features, offering a fresh experience for fans. Existing owners of the game received the update for free, and it also granted access to the two previously released expansions without additional cost. The third expansion, Songs of the Past, is set to launch in early 2027. Players who want to begin the Hearts of Stone expansion in The Witcher 3 have three options, depending on their current progress in the game. Those starting fresh, particularly those playing the Remaster for the first time or wanting to restart, will meet the character Gaunter de Meuré during the game’s prologue in Blanchefleur. He will assist Geralt in a quest called "Lilas and Mackerel Berries" if Geralt offers him a drink, while making some cryptic comments. After the prologue, the game will guide players to start the introductory quest of Hearts of Stone, titled "The First Kisses of Evil." It is advised to reach level 32 before beginning this expansion. For players who already have a saved game from before the expansion, they can simply load their save and retrieve the quest "The First Kisses of Evil" at the Seven Cats Inn in Novigrad. Before this, the game will update the journal with directions on how to begin the Hearts of Stone quests. Players who wish to jump straight into the Hearts of Stone content without playing through the main story can start a new game and select the expansion directly in the main menu. This option starts Geralt at level 32 with appropriate gear, and the quest journal will include the initial mission, "The First Kisses of Evil," leading to the rest of the expansion’s story. No matter how players begin the Hearts of Stone expansion, they will encounter similar elements in the quest "The First Kisses of Evil." These include visiting the Seven Cats Inn in Novigrad, checking the bulletin board, speaking to a man who posts a new contract, reading a message from Olgierd von Everec, and traveling to the Garin estate northeast of Novigrad. At the estate, Geralt may either negotiate with Olgierd’s men or fight them for extra money. Accepting the sewer contract leads to Olgierd hiring Geralt to kill a monster in the sewers of Oxenfurt. Players will need to use witcher senses to track the creature, find Shani, the exclusive romance character for this expansion, and confront the Toad Prince, a monster that spits venom and leaves toxic clouds. Players should prepare golden Loriot decoction and use the Yrden sign to pin the creature during the fight. The battle will not end as planned, and Geralt will be captured, leading to a dark pact with Gaunter de Meuré to continue the story of Hearts of Stone.