Nearly one year after the release of Gwent: The Legendary Card Game, we’re excited to share a big quality-of-life update for players: a completely reworked rulebook!

Since launch, the community has shared feedback on BoardGameGeek, in our Discord server and Facebook Group, and in our DMs. We’ve been listening closely and taking note of common pain points when learning to play Gwent.

To help make the game easier to learn, teach, and master, we partnered with Paul Grogan from Gaming Rules! to restructure and reword the Gwent rulebook. The result is a clearer, more comprehensive second edition rulebook designed for both new players entering the world of Gwent and experienced tacticians looking to fact-check during gameplay.

Take a look at the rule book below and download it on BoardGameGeek. Keep reading on to learn the changes we've made from the first edition to the second edition!

What’s New in the Second Edition Gwent Rulebook?

One Unified Rulebook

The biggest structural change is the combination of the original rulebook and game modes book into one single document. No more sifting through one book, only to have to grab the other one when looking for an answer!

Players can now find everything they need in one place, making information easier to find during gameplay.

Clearer Structure

The updated structure of the second edition rulebook now guides players step-by-step through every major phase of Gwent, making it easier for new players to follow along.

From setting up the board and building decks to understanding turn taking, the rulebook now follows a more intuitive progression that mirrors the way players naturally learn at the table during a game.

We also added faction summaries at the beginning of the rulebook, instead of being placed in the middle of the rulebook, to help players better understand the strength of each faction before building their deck. For more detailed explanation on the different factions, check out our previous blog posts: read here.

Improved Explanations

The most common pain point was understanding what exactly an ability does. To address this, we rewrote and added many descriptions in the rule book to clarify:

• Faction abilities
• Unit card abilities
• Special card abilities
• Weather effect cards

More Visual Aids

Sometimes the fastest way to learn is to see it in action. That’s why the second edition rulebook includes significantly more visual examples throughout the document. Players will now find additional diagrams, board examples, and illustrated gameplay references to help explain complex interactions quickly.

New Scoring Appendix for Multiple Effects

Gwent is a game full of layered effects and strategic combinations to increase your Strength while decreasing your enemy's Strength score. When several abilities trigger at once, scoring can sometimes become difficult to track.

The new appendix includes several gameplay scenarios that explain how scores are calculated step-by-step. If multiple effects are active at the same time, players can now reference practical examples showing exactly how weather effects, commander's horn, tight bonds, and morale boost interact on the scoreboard.

Built With Community Feedback

Over the past year, players have helped us identify the areas that needed more clarity, stronger explanations, and better organization. The new rulebook is a direct result of that collaboration between the community, our team, and rules expert Paul Grogan.

Whether you’re teaching friends for the first time, diving into competitive matches, or exploring new strategies with your favorite faction, the Second Edition Rulebook is designed to make every game smoother, clearer, and more immersive.

The next production run of Gwent: The Legendary Card Game with this version of the rulebook will be arriving in stores at the end of 2026. If you have purchased Gwent Deluxe, rest assured all Gwent Deluxe boxes are being produced with this new rulebook!

What are your thoughts on the second edition Gwent Rulebook? Let us know in the comments!