There are actually three points of no return in the main game, although none relate to Novigrad, so I'm not really sure which the OP means. One immediately before you pick up Uma, one before the Isle of Mists, and one just before On Thin Ice. At a certain point in the game, you will be prompted to save your game, and told that it's the point of no return. This is true, but only for certain quests and ending alterations. Choices made that affect which conclusion you eventually reach do not occur until shortly after the start of the quest 'Blood on the Battlefield.'
There are a lot of moving parts in The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. Aside from the various game concepts one must master to navigate through the Northern Realms, the fates of numerous main characters must be considered. Whether it’s the Baron, Emperor, Keira Metz or Letho, your decisions have a major impact on the people you meet and interact with in the game. Of course, your choices will alter the endgame for the two main protagonists, Ciri and Geralt.
Today we’re going to talk about the different ways things can turn out for these heroes, and what you need to do to get the ending you want. Of course, this means major spoilers lie ahead, so if you are looking to be surprised at the end of the journey, you might consider visiting The Witcher 3 Walkthrough and continuing your journey from there.
Major Choices – Fate of the Swallow
Best Witcher 3 Reshade
There are three ways Ciri’s story can turn out in The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. One of them is awesome, one is OK and the third is something we’re pretty sure you’ll want to avoid. Well, unless you hate Ciri, in which case this might be your preferred route.
Determining Ciri’s fate depends on five key choices. Each of these results in either a positive or negative reaction from Ciri. If you get more positives than negatives, you end up with one of the better conclusions.
Note: During the main quest, Blood on the Battlefield, Ciri will ask Geralt to go with her to fight Imlerith. If you agree to go you will not be able to unlock the Ciri is Empress ending, and you will not see the second choice. You can, however, still end up with a positive outcome.
- While completing the Blood on the Battlefield main quest, Ciri will ask Geralt how to manage her negative mood. You can choose to have a snowball fight with her (+1), or you can tell her that she doesn’t have to be good at everything (-1).
- During the Father’s Day main quest, the Emperor will attempt to pay Geralt for bringing Ciri to him as they agreed. Geralt can refuse payment (+1), or he can accept it (-1). Refusing payment results in Ciri being proud of Geralt.
- While completing the Final Preparations main quest, Geralt can allow Ciri to speak with the Sorceresses on her own (+1), or he can go with her and speak on her behalf (-1). The latter will cause Ciri to lose confidence in herself.
- The Child of the Elder Blood main quest will see Ciri angry and determined to ransack the laboratory of Avallac’h. You can allow her to do this (+1) or you can tell her to calm down (-1). The former will help strengthen her resolve.
- Also during Child of the Elder Blood, Ciri will tell Geralt she wants to travel to the grave of a boy who saved her. You can agree to go with her (+1), or tell her that there is no time (-1). The second option will cause Ciri’s spirit to weaken.
Witcher 3 Points Of No Return Receipt
Ending #1 – Ciri is Dead?
This ending doesn’t necessarily mean Ciri is dead, but it’s the worst of the three options if you want to see her healthy and happy. It is unlocked if you complete the Something Ends, Something Begins I main quest, which is triggered if you end up with more negative responses than positive. The fact that her fate is unknown leads us to wonder if we heard that last from Ciri.
Ending #2 – Ciri is Empress
We call this ending the middle ground, and it is only possible if you went to see the Emperor during the Blood on the Battlefield main quest. This will unlock the Something Ends, Something Begins II main quest, which also requires you have more positive choices than negative regarding Ciri. You must also ensure that Radovid is dead, and that you sided with Roche and Thaler.
Ending #3 – Ciri is Alive
The first requirement that must be met for this ending is that you cannot have gone to see the Emperor during the Blood on the Battlefield main quest. This would have left you with only four choices regarding the Fate of the Swallow, so making sure you have more positive than negative is key. Meeting these conditions will allow you to complete Something Ends, Something Begins III.
When you’ve settled on an ending and completed each of the main quests, there will still be a laundry list of things you have to complete in the Northern Realms. For starters, you might want to Learn to Play Gwent somewhere along the line, and if that’s not your thing, you could always, busy yourself by diving into The Witcher 3 Contracts. Either way, there’s a lot more for Geralt to see and do before his journey ends.