The best Witcher 3 mods and how to install them
Here are some of the best mods to enhance your playthrough of The Witcher 3, as well as how to install them.
UPDATE: We've updated this list of The Witcher 3's best mods to be up to date with what mods are currently available for the game. We've removed any defunct mods, made sure all of the below mods are next-gen update compatible, and added some further instructions on how to install mods for The Witcher 3. Enjoy modding!
Geralt of Rivia has been in our midst for many years now, so let's take a look at the best mods for The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt.
Mods can do weird and wonderful things to games, as well as make enhancements to combat, environmental textures and other things that the community thought was lacking. There are mods that allow you to fast travel from any point on the map, ones that show every single object if you like to really test your eyesight, and mods that make The Witcher 3 a bit of a gore fest.
We'll also take a look at how to install mods if this is your first foray into modding The Witcher 3. Let me be the first to congratulate you on choosing the correct game to mod!
The Witcher 3: best mods
The Witcher 3 HD Reworked Project
Depending on your set up, you might already be playing on ultra high settings and getting the best out of The Witcher 3. This mod enhances the textures environment around you and that of some animals and creatures, making The Witcher 3 feel even more real.
These fine touches really make cutscenes all the more vibrant and realistic as the textures of wooden houses, rocks and plants have been improved.
This mod reminded me of one from TES 4: Oblivion in that it just makes everything that bit sharper and more pleasant to look at.
Fast travel anywhere
This mod is as simple as it is brilliant. It removes the requirement of visiting a signpost in order to fast travel. Instead, you can choose a point on the map and transport there no matter where you are. Stuck in a boat off the coast of Ard Skellig? Just open up your map, choose a destination and away you go.
All quest objectives on map
The Witcher 3's map is busy as it is and it's easy to get overwhelmed by the volume of activities. For those of you who are easily distracted from the main quest by side missions, this could be the mod for you.
This mod allows you to select and track more than one quest at any given time. You can also change your priority task from the map instead of going through the quest log.
Merchant locations can also be cached to make them easier to find.
Friendly Meditation
Now that you've sharpened up your surroundings and fast travelled back to the mainland, it's time to install a mod that lets you soak up the world around you.
Friendly Meditation lets you meditate in real time, watching the weather change and the sun rising or setting. Many players complained they missed this feature and didn't like just watching the hands on the sundial move forward, so this mod is perfect if you want to watch the world go by as you rest.
Photo mode
Photo modes are increasingly popular in triple-A titles these days. My favourite one can be found in God of War where you can force Kratos to have an overbearing grin.
While you can't pose Geralt with this photo mode, you can freeze the game and spawn certain weather conditions to add some flair. The camera spins 360 degrees and you can even make yourself and the HUD invisible to capture the perfect shot.
Auto apply oils
Even the most experienced Witchers occasionally forget to oil their sword before combat. This mod scans the enemies around you and applies the appropriate oil to your sword. All you need to do now is draw your sword, hit Quen and dive into battle.
Autoloot
If - like me - you simply must pick up every lootable object in sight, then this mod will make the task less laborious.
You can filter what kinds of items you want to automatically pick up and what you want to leave behind, so you won't end up with as much junk in your inventory. Or, you can set it to pick up everything because you're a hoarder and that's how you like it.
Over 9000 weight
It's only logical, then, that we include a mod that will let you carry everything you want. By now you'll have found a decent amount of merchants and can fast travel directly to them to sell off your goods.
These mods are very useful in the opening hours of The Witcher 3 as you'll have loads to trade and can earn a lot of gold quite quickly.
The Gwent card dealer
I've put as many hours into playing Gwent as I have the main storyline and side quests in The Witcher 3. It can be slow at the start to build up a decent deck and not lose to every merchant you plays a quick round of Gwent with you. Luckily, this mod turns the Bloody Baron's quartermaster into a Gwent card dealer who sells almost every card in the game.
Now you can smash the Baron and whoever else decides to challenge you at Gwent and become the Gwent master you always wanted to be.
Critical slow motion combat mod
If you want to savour the moment when Geralt successfully decapitates a bandit, then look no further than this mod.
When Geralt lands a critical hit, time slows down to show off how brutal his attacks can be.
Enemies of Rivia
If playing on Deathmarch isn't enough for you, then you might want to check out this mod.
Enemies of Rivia scales up enemy combat to a ridiculous degree. As enemies level with you, they'll display new combat behaviours and attacks, making battles much more challenging and varied.
If you've managed to bag Grandmaster Ursine gear then this mod is really going to shake things up for you as you won't be anywhere near as overpowered.
E3DodgeSystem
The CD Projekt Red E3 2014 showcased a battle between Geralt and a water hag with what was deemed the perfect dodge system. For one reason or another, the dodge system was overhauled for release, adding in a few more pirouettes and flair.
This mod recreates the dodge system from the E3 showcase, keeping the rest of the combat much the same. It makes targets easier to hit as Geralt and his sword are always pointing forward, as opposed to rolling away and facing the other direction accidentally.
Increased Creature Loot
Eating food during or after battles is a great way to regain health, particularly if you have the Gourmet perk active. You can always hunt game and sell their meat for a small profit.
If you're tired of running around looking for animals to kill, this mod will increase the loot dropped by animals. You could end up with half a dozen bear skins in one go, so it's lucky you installed that weight increase mod early, eh?
Indestructable Items
If repairing weapons is too laborious a task for you, then this mod should make your playthrough a little easier. The entire weapon degradation system is pulled from the game with this mod, which means you won't need to waste precious kits on repairing broken weapons before selling them.
It's a relatively small change in comparison to some of the other mods on this list, but it's a welcome one nonetheless.
How to install mods for The Witcher 3
The easiest way to install mods would be to use the Nexus Mods Manager, Vortex. It goes as far as installing any updates to the mods you use and makes the whole process a bit less daunting.
You can also install mods manually if it's something you feel confident in doing and if you're particularly experienced, you could use something like Script Merger to make sure you don't accidentally break your game forever.
If installing mods manually, be cautious when it comes to choosing which files to download. Check they're from a reputable modder, have good reviews, and that your antivirus is up and running.
Warnings aside, install the mods of your choice from Nexus Mods, and then open up your The Witcher 3 game files. This can be done right-clicking the game on Steam and selecting 'browse local files'. In the game folder, create a 'mods' folder.
Now, all you need to do is extract your downloaded mods, and pop those files into the new 'mods' folder you just created.
We recommend installing mods one at a time and testing your game between each one, so if you run into any issues whatsoever, you can quickly identify which mod is causing problems.
For more on The Witcher 3, why not check out our Romance Guide. Elsewhere, there's also our guides on the Endings, and on the best weapons and armor in the game.