Levelling up quickly in The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt isn’t just about grinding enemies. It’s about understanding how the game rewards experience and how best to make use of your time. With the right focus and efficient planning, you can significantly speed up your progression without diminishing the game’s pacing or storytelling.
Prioritise Main Quests (When Viable)
The main storyline quests provide the most experience, especially when they align with your current level. Delaying them for too long can lead to you becoming overlevelled, which reduces XP rewards. Stick close to the suggested quest level, and avoid outlevelling the plot-heavy arcs unless you’re deliberately exploring.
Focus on Witcher Contracts and Secondary Quests
Witcher Contracts are not only rewarding in terms of coin, but they also give a solid amount of experience. Make sure to negotiate your pay before accepting each job. Secondary quests tied to fleshed-out characters or events (like those in Novigrad or Skellige) also offer better XP returns than simple fetch tasks.
Target Quests Close to Your Level
The game penalises you for completing quests significantly below your level. Ideally, stay within a range of three levels above or below the quest’s recommendation to ensure you earn full XP. Anything beyond that sees steep drop-offs.
Explore Hidden Treasure and Places of Power
Scattered across the world are Places of Power, each granting a one-time ability point the first time you draw from them. These do not affect your level directly, but they enhance your build and power early on. Hidden Treasure markers, particularly in Velen and Skellige, often lead to short quests or enemy camps that yield extra XP and gear.
Kill Human Enemies over Monsters
While monster nests and random creature fights add some flavour, they’re poor for levelling. Human enemies in camps or as part of quests offer better loot and more consistent XP, especially bandits, deserters, and guards tied to contracts or side missions.
Use the Green Path in Dialogue
Many side quests give you the option to push for deeper involvement through dialogue choices. The green text, which typically represents more detailed responses, can open up more objectives, often tied to higher XP rewards. It’s worth taking your time in conversations.
Play on Higher Difficulty (if Appropriate)
While this doesn’t directly increase XP gain, playing on “Blood and Broken Bones” or “Death March” slows you down in combat, making you more tactical and reliant on alchemy and preparation. This often leads to more deliberate questing and fewer wasted skirmishes. It also adds to the sense of earned progression.
Don’t Farm Low-Level Enemies
Respawning monsters, like drowners along coastlines or wolves in forests, give minimal XP after you outlevel them. Farming them might feel productive but it’s inefficient. The XP curve rewards meaningful content, not repetition.
Clear Notice Boards Methodically
When you reach a new settlement, hit the notice board first. It updates your map with hidden question marks, new contracts, and sometimes opens quests just by reading a note. This unlocks content that can be handled alongside main missions, keeping your activity dense and efficient.
Rest Between Objectives
Meditation not only heals but also lets you reset potions and bombs if you have Alcohest. Keeping your gear and alchemy in check means you spend less time in inventory screens and more time progressing. It’s minor, but shaving off these seconds compounds over a long playthrough.
The Seven Swords takeaway
Levelling up fast in The Witcher 3 isn’t about shortcuts or loopholes. It’s about efficient exploration, timely quest selection, and playing with intent. Push the narrative when it aligns with your level, but allow space for contracts and character-driven side quests. With this rhythm, Geralt’s growth will feel both earned and well-paced.
