Pre-ordering Thronebreaker doesn’t get you any extras

You can now pre-order CD Projekt Red’s first foray into the world of The Witcher since the release of the final expansion for The Witcher III, ahead of its release on October 23 on PC, Xbox One and PS4. While doing so will give you access to a number of extras, those same extras will be earned by anyone who buys the game after launch, as CDPR has no interest in rewarding those who pay it early.

If you’ve been living under a rock for the past ten years, pre-orders were once used to reserve copies of physical game releases to make sure you got it on launch day. However, over the past few years, pre-orders have been used by companies to gauge interest in a game before its released — in the most benign of cases — and a way to milk money from players without having to give them a finished product — in the most nefarious. This has lead to many companies offering unique bonuses and perks to those who buy the game early, giving them an advantage over other players, or speeding up gameplay progression.

That’s something CPR has no interest in doing.

“When buying our games, everyone gets the same in-game content,” explained CDPR’s co-founder, Marcin Iwiński. “[It] doesn’t matter if you pre-order it or buy it after launch. We don’t want to lure you in with ‘exclusive item’ bullshit. For us, pre-orders are all about the anticipation and excitement, and – most importantly – showing support for the studios and games you love.”

In the case of Thronebreaker, whether you buy the game before it’s released or do so after, you’ll gain access to a digital soundtrack, graphic novel, and some premium content for the multiplayer part of the game. This is similar to what CDPR provides to all gamers who use its GoG service, which offers digital soundtracks and manuals for easy access at no extra cost.