Gwent's next update will add 60 new cards and The Empire of Nilfgaard

A major content update for the Witcher-based collectible card game Gwent will finally bring about the addition of Nilfgaard, the largest and most powerful empire in The Witcher saga, as a playable faction.   

Nilfgaard "introduces a playstyle focused on maintaining control over the battlefield," developer CD Projekt Red said, with new game mechanics that will give players the ability to reveal enemy cards, control the order of cards in player decks, and employ "trickery based on the use of disloyal units." 

The update will also add more than 60 new cards to the game, including faction-specific cards for Northern Realms, Scoia'tael, Skellige and Monsters, and neutral cards that can be used by any faction.   

Gwent is still in closed beta, so you can't just grab it and start playing, but you can sign up to take part at playgwent.com, and I get the impression that, generally speaking, those who sign up get in in relatively short order. While you wait, be sure to read our impressions of the beta right here. The Nilfgaard update is scheduled to go live on February 6. 

Andy Chalk

Andy has been gaming on PCs from the very beginning, starting as a youngster with text adventures and primitive action games on a cassette-based TRS80. From there he graduated to the glory days of Sierra Online adventures and Microprose sims, ran a local BBS, learned how to build PCs, and developed a longstanding love of RPGs, immersive sims, and shooters. He began writing videogame news in 2007 for The Escapist and somehow managed to avoid getting fired until 2014, when he joined the storied ranks of PC Gamer. He covers all aspects of the industry, from new game announcements and patch notes to legal disputes, Twitch beefs, esports, and Henry Cavill. Lots of Henry Cavill.