Why is The Witcher 3 so cheap on Steam in 2024?
As a hardcore PC gamer and content creator, I am always looking for the best deals on games. And one title that has amazed me with its insane value for money on Steam is The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. This open-world masterpiece from CD Projekt Red often goes on sale for upwards of 80% off, letting you pick it up for only $10 or less. But why is one of the greatest RPGs of all time available so cheap? Let‘s dig into the reasons behind the incredibly affordable pricing of The Witcher 3 on Steam.
CD Projekt Red‘s Pro-Consumer Philosophy
Unlike the majority of AAA publishers today, CD Projekt Red has always adopted a pro-consumer approach to pricing and monetization in their games. When The Witcher 3 launched back in 2015, it was priced at only $59.99. This was lower than the standard $69.99 cost of most big open world titles at that time like Watch Dogs, Assassin‘s Creed Unity and Batman: Arkham Knight.
And CD Projekt Red has only become more generous over the years. All of The Witcher 3‘s meaty expansions were reasonably priced on launch and frequently discounted. The developer also put out 16 free DLCs that added over 30 hours of additional content. As a policy, CD Projekt avoids paid loot boxes or microtransactions in their games. They pride themselves on giving players the full experience at a base price and win their long-term loyalty.
This is in stark contrast to the over-monetization we see at some other studios like EA or Ubisoft. CD Projekt focuses more on delivering value than extracting maximum revenue through various post-purchase schemes. They care about gamers enjoying their work. This goodwill translates into lower prices and frequent giveaways of their titles to the community.
Massive Commercial Success Enabled Lower Prices
After the success of The Witcher 2, which sold over 4 million copies worldwide, CD Projekt entered development on the third game with a comfortable budget. This allowed them to keep costs low while heavily investing in top-tier writing, graphics, combat and world design.
The Witcher 3 was a massive hit, selling over 40 million copies globally as of early 2023 across PC and consoles. It was one of the best selling games of 2015 and also had a very long tail thanks to positive word of mouth and support for the title, selling millions more copies over the next few years.
With such a huge player base across platforms, CD Projekt was able to recoup development and marketing costs quickly while also keeping long term revenue flowing in through the game‘s affordable initial pricing, discounts and new releases bringing in more sales. The ongoing success of The Witcher 3 enabled the creators to be more flexible with costs.
GOG Version Cuts Out Publisher Markups
On platforms like Steam, publishers take a 30% commission on game sales. This markup gets passed on partly to players through higher list prices. However, CD Projekt owns GOG, so the DRM-free GOG version has no middlemen.
During sales, The Witcher 3 Complete Edition goes for only $10 on GOG, compared to $14.99 on Steam. Overall, the GOG price tends to be 10-20% cheaper than Steam. This saves GOG buyers a nice chunk of change, letting them get the full experience without any publisher fees added.
Sustained Popularity Allowed Steeper Discounts
Most major singleplayer games see prices bottom out around the $10-20 mark once the game hits the 4-5 year old mark after release. However, even in 2024 which is 8 years after launch, there is massive interest in The Witcher 3. Millions of fans joined the fanbase in the last 3 years thanks to the hit Netflix adaptation.
The show introduced Geralt and the dark fantasy world of The Witcher to mainstream audiences worldwide. This led to new gamers trying out Wild Hunt in droves. In 2022, the Steam player count hit an all-time high of over 92,000 concurrent players following the show‘s second season.
This sustained popularity so many years after release is extremely rare and allows CD Projekt to keep offering steep 80% discounts knowing new buyers will purchase the discounted Steam keys. The more copies they sell, the more goodwill they build and more revenue they bring in through their very fair original pricing.
Driving Interest in the Next-Gen Upgrade
With next-gen upgrades for PS5 and Xbox Series X/S releasing in Q4 2022, CD Projekt Red wants to get The Witcher 3 into the hands of as many current and next-gen console gamers as possible. This will drive interest in the enhanced edition that takes full advantage of new hardware with 4K resolution, ray tracing, faster loading and more.
Keeping the price low on Steam helps bring in PC players who may be enticed by the graphical improvements and return to the game on new consoles. Those who enjoyed The Witcher 3 earlier are also likely double dip and play this beloved title again in its definitive next-gen form.
It‘s a smart strategy that first gives fans access to the base game at a discount, priming them for purchasing the pricier remaster which takes the experience to the next level.
The Witcher 3 Sales & Price Data
Let‘s look at some real data on the game‘s sales performance and pricing history to fully appreciate how CD Projekt Red‘s strategies contribute to the game‘s affordable cost.
| Year | Major Price Discount % | Lowest Sale Price | Total Copies Sold |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 0% | $59.99 | ~6 million |
| 2016 | 50% | $29.99 | ~10 million |
| 2017 | 60% | $23.99 | ~15 million |
| 2018 | 70% | $17.99 | ~25 million |
| 2019 | 80% | $11.99 | ~30 million |
| 2020 | 85% | $8.99 | ~35 million |
| 2021 | 85% | $8.99 | ~38 million |
| 2022 | 80% | $10.99 | ~42 million |
Some key takeaways:
The game has consistently been discounted by 50-85% during Steam sales each year, with the lowest historical price being $8.99.
Thanks to CD Projekt‘s pro-consumer practices and immense popularity, the game continues to sell very well years after launch.
Even in 2022, the game sold over 4 million additional copies globally, taking lifetime sales past 42 million.
The massive success built up over years enables steeper discounts as the developers have already made their money back multiple times over.
The Witcher 3 Next-Gen Pricing Strategy
The upcoming PS5 and Xbox Series X/S versions with graphical enhancements and DLCs included will be priced at $49.99. However, all current owners get the next-gen upgrade completely free. And the base game is being sold at a low price point leading up to this release.
This dual approach lets CD Projekt appeal to two separate audiences:
Current players get the upgraded experience as a reward for their loyal support.
New players can enjoy the original at a heavy discount, priming them for buying the remaster.
It‘s a win-win strategy that once again shows CD Projekt‘s community focus and gives them a way to earn revenue while also building immense goodwill with fans.
Conclusion
The Witcher 3‘s launch price was already reasonable, but CD Projekt Red has only become more pro-consumer with time, doubling down on fair policies and generous discounts. Add in the game‘s massive popularity even years after release, and you have a recipe for an absolutely bargain-bin price for one of gaming‘s crown jewels.
So for any RPG fans who haven‘t yet treated themselves to this masterpiece, now is the best time to grab The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt on Steam before the next-gen edition releases. It might just be the single best deal you‘ll find in gaming today.
