The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt — 12 Tips For Playing The Death March Difficulty Level

Updated Oct 4, 2026, 11:00 AM EDT List Writer for ScreenRant since 2022. John Smith is a writer who spends much of his free time writing Fantasy and Horror stories. In addition to writing Fantasy, he is also a big fan of reading books like the Wheel of Time or playing games such as Dark Souls or the Legend of Zelda. He is also a big fan of anime and manga with his favorites being Code Geass and Dragon Ball Z. He spends a great deal of time writing and is published in the Horror genre. His biggest dream in life is to be an author with multiple Fantasy novels and novel series under his name. The next-gen update of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt launched on Dec.13 with a host of fantastic new additions to the popular fantasy video game. Many players are returning to the game for the first time in years, hyped to re-experience it in its upgraded form. The most hardcore of those players will be eager to try Death March, the highest level of difficulty in the Witcher 3. Death March mode is brutal, especially at the beginning of the game. However, it is essential for those striving for 100% trophy completion, so those trying to complete it will want all the help they can get. Complete Every Side Quest Leveling up is vital to winning battles and overcoming the dangerous obstacles that Geralt faces. The story mode itself is rather lengthy and side quests are pretty optional due to the game not being too difficult. However, this is far from the case in Death March. Players should seek out and complete every side quest that they can find so that when they continue their venture in the main campaign the game will be a bit easier for them. Master Quick Sign Casting Many players may find themselves proficient with only one or two signs, however, it's essential to master all of them to truly thrive in the Death March mode. Thankfully, there's a great new hidden detail in the Witcher 3 next-gen update which allows the player to cast their signs more quickly. When holding down the button to cast signs, all the signs will appear in the bottom right corner to choose from. This is a life-changing addition to the game that will help players overcome enemies more easily than before. This setting must be changed manually and will not be a default. Invest In Quen Geralt has a variety of magical signs at his disposal, and which ones you use the most depends on your play style. But if you're trying to survive in hard mode, there's one magic sign that's worth investing in: Quen. Quen is a simple spell but it's one of the most useful for the game's hardest difficulty. It casts a protective shield around Geralt, which will absorb up to a certain amount of damage. Upgrading Quen makes it more useful, expanding its time and area of effect, and covering more actions without dispersing. Unlock And Upgrade Abilities It's important to work toward upgrading as many abilities as possible. This will especially be useful when using more powerful versions of the signs. However, again, thanks to quick sign casting, this will make Geralt far more powerful than he ever was before. There are more upgrades besides signs that will benefit Geralt in the midst of battle. One essential ability players should get as soon as possible is the Refreshment ability which heals 5% of Geralt's health every time he drinks a potion, whatever that potion's other effects may be. Find The Best Armor Possible It goes without saying that players will want to find the best armor sets they possibly can in one of the most popular action games, the Witcher 3, and they should also strive to get the best ones they can have early in the game. The Temerian armor set isn't a bad choice for the very beginning of the game and is perfect to have equipped as Geralt embarks on early side quests. This armor can be purchased at the first town that Geralt visits in White Orchard. The two new armor sets added to the next-gen update for the game under My Rewards are also excellent new choices. Find The Best Swords Possible Like armor, swords are going to be Geralt's best friend and the player should strive to get the best ones they can early. There are rewards for brand-new swords just like there are with armor, so players can have an advantage by downloading and wielding these right away. However, another excellent option for players is the Viper School sword set. The schematics for both the steel sword and the silver sword can be found in White Orchard. The weapons have a higher chance of inflicting poison, which is the perfect kind of edge a player needs in this brutal difficulty. Know Your Enemy One of the coolest features in the Witcher 3, one of the best medieval fantasy games, is that the players can actually study their enemies and learn about them in the Bestiary. Most monsters are going to have a few weaknesses, so like a real Witcher, the player should approach these battles tactically and find or craft the necessary items to help them in their fight. In the lower difficulties, this doesn't seem like such a big deal, and players may approach most enemies rather casually and use more or less the same strategies every time. This doesn't work as well in Death March and knowing how to more easily overcome an enemy is advised. Always Have Plenty Of Consumables Healing health and status effects is essential in the midst of battle. It's important to stock up prior to battles with as many consumables as possible so that the player can heal at a moment's notice. Some enemies will require Geralt to use almost all of his stock, so players should remember to constantly refill and be ready for their next battles. They should either purchase, loot, or craft potions. All of these are great methods to have a full stock of consumables. Master Countering And Parrying It seems simple, but if enemies can't hit you, they can't hurt you. This means that on the higher difficulty, knowing how to block or return incoming attacks can be the difference between a successful run and a punishing one. You can parry and counter more enemies than you might realize. Wolves can be parried, while Drowners and Ghouls can be counter-attacked. You'll have to watch out for incoming attacks and learn the timing—but taking the time to do so is worth it in the long run since it can help you stay alive longer. Make Constant Saves Constant saving is a good idea and should always be done moments before the player will know they'll be encountering a tough enemy. It isn't a bad idea to make frequent saves regularly too in case a player has no idea what might be around the corner. This way if Geralt dies or the player has a bad strategy that consumes too many items they can reload to the previous save file and have all of their items back again. This will save time so that the player doesn't have to regather all of their consumables again.