The Witcher 3 Remastered skill tree is the biggest gameplay change in the update. The old skill screen, where a skill opened once you had spent enough points in its branch, is now a tree in which each skill has three ranks and opens through the skills before it. Values were rebalanced and some skills renamed, and every existing save had its skill points reset. Here is how the new tree works and how to rebuild Geralt on an old save.
How the Witcher 3 Remastered skill tree works
- A tree layout. The skill screen was reorganized so you can see how skills lead into each other.
- Three ranks per skill. Every skill can be raised three times.
- Prerequisites, not point gates. To unlock a skill you need the skills that come before it. You no longer need a set number of points spent in the branch.
- Rebalanced numbers. Bonus values, effects and synergies were refined across the tree.
- New names. Some skills were renamed to describe what they do more clearly.
- New effects. Skills have new visual effects, and the Signs and their upgraded versions look different.
Why your skill points were reset
Because the tree changed shape, old builds could not be moved over one to one. CD Projekt Red reset the skill points on every save instead, on every platform that gets the free upgrade. Nothing is lost: all the points you had earned go back into your pool, and you can spend them right after the save loads. Quest progress, gear and level are untouched, as the Witcher 3 Remastered save transfer guide explains.
Spend your returned points before the first fight. An old save loads with every point back in the pool, so none of your old skill bonuses are active until you spend them again.
How to rebuild Geralt after the skill reset
- Decide which few skills your build depends on, such as your main Sign or your sword style.
- Trace the prerequisite path to each of them before you spend anything, so no points go into skills you only need as stepping stones.
- Reread every description. A renamed or rebalanced skill can carry different numbers from the one you remember.
- Spend on the core path first, then fill out ranks once the build works.
- Restyle your gear with Reforge transmog if the new build calls for a different set; the stats of what you wear stay the same.
Finding the game harder while the build comes together? The Bard's Ballad preset adds faster health regeneration and can be switched on mid-playthrough.
Old Witcher 3 skill calculators do not match
The Witcher 3 skill calculators that rank in search were built for the 4.0 next-gen update and use the old point-gate layout, so they do not show prerequisites or ranks. Skill and balance mods made for the old system are likely to clash for the same reason. We will add a remastered skill planner once a source we can cite lists every skill with its ranks and prerequisites.
Witcher 3 Remastered skill tree FAQ
Do I lose skill points in the Witcher 3 Remastered skill tree change?
No. The points come back to your pool. Only the way you had spent them is reset.
How many ranks does each skill have?
Three, for every skill in the tree.
What else changed in the remaster?
Combat, the camera, loot, photo mode and graphics on every platform. The Witcher 3 Remastered patch notes list every change.