Witcher 3 Cheaters Punished With Taxes

Not all exploits go unnoticed in the world of video games. In The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, for instance, you might find yourself visited by an actual taxman if you took advantage of a loophole that allowed folks to turn a tidy profit on hides and pearls.

One of the things I love most about Saturday Night Live (stick with me here, it’s not that crazy of a tangent) is when a celebrity or politician is willing to go on and have a laugh at their own expense. There’s no better sense of humor than being able to laugh at yourself.

That sort of good-natured tomfoolery doesn’t often pop up in video games but, thanks to a recent update to The Witcher 3, we have a good example of a developer willing to admit they made a small goof rather than punish players who took advantage of an exploit.

Youtuber WhatsMyGame recently posted a video showing off some quick thoughts on the Hearts of Stone DLC that recently arrived in The Witcher 3. While out on his adventures, WhatsMyGame was stumbled across an unexpected visitor: A taxman who wanted the player to pony up for their past crimes.

If a player took advantage of one of the Witcher 3 exploits that allowed them to make profit off of harvesting hides and pearls, the taxman will apparently show up and confront you with your transgression, demanding you fork over some dough for those sneaky wages you thought nobody knew about.

What first seems like CD Projekt Red plugging in a punishment system is later revealed to be exactly the opposite. As WhatsMyGame points out, all you have to do is answer “No” when the taxman asks you if you are guilty for your crimes. The game knows you are lying, obviously, but the taxman appears to be in a giving mood. Lie through your teeth and he will give you a reward for being so honest. In other words, you can exploit a system that was plugged in humorously in response to an exploit. That’s kind of wonderful.

That would be like Destiny’s Cryptarch handing out Legendary Engrams to players who “didn’t” take advantage of the loot cave when that notorious exploit was active. Bungie’s response was actually similar to CD Projekt Red, though, turning off the exploit and plugging in a constant reminder of this special time in Destiny history with an interactive object nestled within the cave.

But now I’m curious: Did anyone else come across the Witcher 3 taxman and, if so, did you admit to your crimes? What’s his response? Please let us know in the comments below.