How to complete A Matter of Life and Death in The Witcher 3 next-gen

The Witcher 3 returns once again with a brand new update for the next generation of home consoles and PC, featuring brand new quests and vastly improved visuals.

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The definitive edition of The Witcher 3 has several returning quests, and players may need to jog their memory to get through these. This guide will cover one such very important side quest in The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, A Matter of Life and Death.

Note: Spoilers for The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt.

A Matter of Life and Death is a major sidequest in Novigrad in The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

This particular The Witcher 3 quest has several collectibles and quest progression endpoints that cannot be completed later on in the campaign, so players must carefully follow the steps listed below:

Enter Triss's hideout in The Bits after she escapes from the witch hunters during the events of the quest 'Count Reuven’s Treasure.'
This particular quest must be completed before starting The Isle of Mists, or you will automatically fail it.
You will have to meet Vegelbud’s servant at the fish market. He can be easily identified by using your witcher senses and will be wearing a blue tunic with keys on his belt.
Follow him after you say the correct passphrase, and you will eventually be ambushed by bandits.
Meet up with Triss, who will reveal that the witch hunters are after Albert Vegelbud, the son of Lady Vegelbud.
You will now have to enter the masquerade ball. Before you do so, you'll have to buy a fox mask for Triss and other optional outfits for Geralt.
Head back to Triss and give her the mask to continue the quest.
Triss will be blocked by a drunk man who gets in her way. Deal with him to gain 25 EXP (if you don't fight him).
You can soak in the atmosphere and proceed through several optional side objectives in this area.
The most important optional side quest involves a Gwent competition. Head to the table on your right and speak to the croupier to enter the battle.
Win against each of the opponents to emerge as the champion and be rewarded with the unique Dandelion Gwent card and 50 EXP. Completing this quest is mandatory to finish your Gwent card collection and cannot be attempted once A Matter of Life and Death is finished.
Find Lady Vegelbud on the left of the stairs and proceed to interact with her.
She will reveal that her son Albert is wearing a panther mask and will ask you to arrange for his safe departure.
You will then encounter Albert, and he will instruct you to meet him in the hedge maze once the guests are drunk enough to not notice.
You can wait at the bench with Triss. She will leave eventually, and you'll have to chase after her.
After catching up with her, you have an option to kiss her. This option does not affect the quest in any way, but you'll have to select it if you intend to romance Triss.
Soon after, you'll be interrupted by Albert Vegelbud. As a precautionary measure, Geralt and Albert will switch masks.
Triss and Albert will leave the maze while you stay behind to fool the witch hunters.
The witch hunters will ambush you after being tricked into believing that you are Albert. Enter into a fistfight with the hunters to earn 50 EXP at the end of the encounter. You are free to use signs in this battle.
Proceed to leave the maze and meet up with Triss and Albert in the stables.
Triss will return your weapons, and the group will leave on horseback.
The quest then concludes, and you will be rewarded 50 EXP.

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt’s next-generation port was released on December 14, 2022 to positive reviews. The original game was released on May 19, 2015.