Along with the many small improvements offered by The Witcher 3’s most recent big patch, at least one problem slipped in: It was possible for Geralt to wind up stranded in the wilderness without a shred of armor to wear.
See, the 1.07 patch raised the level requirements for some of the game’s gear. That meant that if you were out out adventuring in equipment you were barely qualified to wear, you might install the patch and wind up with Geralt standing in a field wearing only his Witcher Boxers, without a scrap of suitable, wearable armor or usable weaponry in his possession.
You had to take the armor off for that to happen (or be unlucky enough to be in the middle of a quest that involves Geralt losing his armor), so for the most part, it was a minor inconvenience—and a funny one. But it was an inconvenience nonetheless. For some players who installed the patch while in the middle of a lengthy, difficult mission, it could actually be a real problem. Fortunately, in today’s new 1.08 patch, CD Projekt Red has offered a creative solution.
From the Patch Notes:
In patch 1.07, the level requirements for certain items were scaled up, leaving some players stuck with only unusable gear. With patch 1.08, we are introducing the Wolven Hour potion. This potion will be available in everyone’s inventory once they install the patch. It will reduce level requirements on all gear for a period of one hour. This will give players time to level up or find alternative equipment using the gear that was available to them in patch 1.05 but became unusable after patch 1.07. After one hour, the potion’s effects will cease and the requirements for all gear will revert to their original, pre-potion values.
Sure enough, I’ve now got a bottle of Wolven Hour potion in my inventory.
Most players who ran into the issue have probably already dealt with it, but it’s still nice that the developers have come up with a creative in-game fix. I’m high enough level to use any armor in the game, but it’s good to know that Geralt now has the breathing room to get replacement gear while maintaining his dignity.
To contact the author of this post, write to kirk@kotaku.com.
Update: After the 1.07 patch, you had to take the armor off (or have it removed during a quest) to wind up unable to re-equip it. I’ve updated the post to make that clear.