The Witcher 3's first expansion 'Hearts of Stone' is available now for Xbox One and PC

Witcher 3
Witcher 3 (Image credit: CD Projekt RED)

CD Projekt RED's critically acclaimed RPG The Witcher 3 just received its first DLC expansion, available right now for Xbox One and PC.

'Hearts of Stone' adds around 10 hours of gameplay to The Witcher 3, taking place in the areas currently available in the base game.

..."Step again into the shoes of Geralt of Rivia, a professional monster slayer, this time hired to defeat a ruthless bandit captain, Olgierd von Everec, a man who possesses the power of immortality."......"Hearts of Stone will take Geralt on an all-new adventure into the wilds of No Man's Land and the nooks and alleys of Oxenfurt, where he'll try to complete a contract from the mysterious Man of Glass. Caught in a thick tangle of deceit, Geralt will need all his cunning and strength to solve the mystery and emerge unscathed."......"This expansion to "The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt" packs over 10 hours of new adventures, introducing new characters, powerful monsters, unique romance and a brand new storyline shaped by your choices."...

We're still working on our review, but early signs are looking positive with several major sites granting the first of the Witcher 3 expansions with 9s and 10s.

If you're unfamiliar with the series, The Witcher follows the exploits of Geralt of Rivia, a monster-slayer-for-hire. His prowess in combat often lands him at the behest of sorceresses and royalty, causing him to become entwined in everything from solving minor political intrigue to vanquishing world-threatening evil. The Witcher 3 is an action RPG set in an impossibly vast and detailed open world the likes of which has yet to get matched on the Xbox One.

For our full review of The Witcher 3, head over to here.

Hearts of Stone is available now for PS4, Xbox One and PC for $9.99, or for free if you've purchased The Witcher 3's expansion pass. The expansion pass will add another DLC in early 2016 named 'Blood and Wine', set to take place in an all-new area across a 20 hour play time.

..."Blood and Wine, a 20-hour tale that will introduce the all-new in-game region of Toussaint, will take Geralt to a land untainted by war, where an atmosphere of carefree indulgence and knightly ritual masks an ancient, bloody secret. The upcoming expansions will offer gamers new content, gear and foes, and will feature characters both new and dearly missed -- all crafted with maximum attention to detail and quality."...

Have you picked up Hearts of Stone? What do you think so far? Let us know below! (Without spoilers!)

Jez Corden
Co-Managing Editor

Jez Corden is a Managing Editor at Windows Central, focusing primarily on all things Xbox and gaming. Jez is known for breaking exclusive news and analysis as relates to the Microsoft ecosystem while being powered by tea. Follow on Twitter @JezCorden and listen to his XB2 Podcast, all about, you guessed it, Xbox!