There has been some confusion regarding save game compatibility between the Game of the Year and regular editions. We hope the below will clear things up!
First off, so that everyone is on the same page, the Game of The Year Edition contains:
• The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
• The Hearts of Stone Expansion
• The Blood and Wine Expansion
• 16 free DLCs
• An update with various fixes and improvements (just a regular patch that will also be available for everyone who has the base game – it will be published once the GOTY Edition goes live)
The GOTY Edition does not include any additional unpublished content, so if you have the base game and the expansions, you technically have the GOTY Edition already.
Regarding save game compatibility, here are possible scenarios gamers might encounter and tips on what to do.
Scenario #1: You own the base game on the PC and you want to buy the GOTY Edition
Your game saves will work — this is because of a more open system architecture of the PC. However, if your only goal is to acquire the expansions, you might consider buying the Season Pass, as it will be the more economical option. Content-wise, you will have the same stuff as the person who will have purchased the GOTY edition. Of course, if you really want to support us, we will not mind if you get another copy of The Witcher 3 in the form of the GOTY Edition. Thank you in advance for your generosity
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Scenario #2: You own the base game on consoles (PlayStation 4 or Xbox One) and you want to buy the GOTY Edition
Our suggestion is to buy the Season Pass instead. Should you buy the GOTY Edition, game saves from your base game will unfortunately not work because the system treats the GOTY Edition as a different product. This is beyond our control and results from the technical aspect of how games work on consoles. Sadly, we are unable to make any workarounds here.
Situation #3: You don’t own the base game or the expansions and want to buy the GOTY edition
We love you and we are humbled that you want to buy and play The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. Thank you!