'Gwent: The Witcher Card Game' release date, news: Spin-off card game to launch in October

CD Projekt Red has recently announced that it will move the slated release of "Gwent: The Witcher Card Game" from September to Oct. 25. In an official announcement, the Polish developer said the planned September launch is impossible to meet as they try to make everything "ready" before releasing the game's closed beta version.

"We know we can make a first impression only once, and want to be sure everything is ready before we blast off. Delivering a good game is more important to us than keeping a deadline. Still, that doesn't mean we don't realize that delays can be disappointing, and we apologize for making you wait," said the studio per official statement.

The popular "The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt" in-game pastime became a spinoff title following strong urging from fans. Following the success of the "Warcraft" spinoff game "Hearthstone by Blizzard, CD Projekt Red's "Gwent Card" move appears to be sensible business decision by the developer. The standalone game was first mentioned during Microsoft's presser at this year's Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3). The developer's "The Witcher" series currently has over 20 million copies sold.

The digital card game market is approximately valued at $1.2 billion, VentureBeat reported. But this lucrative market has long been dominated by Blizzard's "Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft." Apart from "Gwent: The Witcher Card Game," Bethesda's "The Elder Scrolls: Legends" is also trying to capture a sizeable share of the specific gaming market.

Meanwhile, the game is slated to arrive on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC. Prior to the spinoff's full release, a closed beta version will first hit PC and Xbox One this October. To participate in the game's closed beta trial, players first need to register on the game's official website.

In anticipation of a possible glitch common to most digital card games, the developer is also working on a way to overcome the difficulty of completing the perfect with the right cards by giving a player a chance to choose one from the "three cards that are at least rare."

"We have our own thoughts about card games in general, and we felt this innovation would reduce the frustration you sometimes get if you get all the cards you don't want to have," said principal narrative designer Mateusz Tomaszkiewicz per Tech Times report.