“Everything we fear is here,” says monster slayer Geralt of Rivia (Henry Cavill) in the latest trailer for The Witcher Season 3, Volume 2. 

At the end of the first batch of episodes, the series’ true villain finally reveals himself as he stages a coup ahead of the Conclave of Mages on Thanedd Island: It’s Vilgefortz (Mahesh Jadu). It turns out, he’s been sowing discord among the Continent’s most powerful, and when Season 3 returns for its final three episodes on July 27, we’ll see how that battle will play out.

While it’s still unclear how the power dynamics will shift — and who will be left standing after the fight — one thing is for certain: The found family of Geralt, Yennefer (Anya Chalotra) and Ciri (Freya Allan), plus their pal Jaskier (Joey Batey), will stay together at all costs.

Read on for everything else you need to know about The Witcher Season 3. Volume 2, which consists of episodes 6 through 8, is out July 27.

What is Season 3 of The Witcher about?

Geralt says in the first Season 3 trailer, “Neutrality — it won’t get a statue, but it’ll certainly help in keeping you alive.”

But things are different for our hero now that he’s a family man entrusted with the care of Princess Cirilla of Cintra, someone so powerful, who contains so much chaos — the most difficult force to control — that she’s being pursued by multiple factions on the Continent. 

As Cavill told Tudum ahead of the new season, “Now, there’s a real threat. It’s genuine; it’s no longer theoretical — it’s practical. And it’s very, very dangerous. They are walking into the lion’s den everywhere they go.”

The Witcher Season 3, Volume 1 TrailerChaos is coming.

You can see some of that very real danger in that trailer, which features Geralt, Ciri and Yennefer fighting some of the many monsters, mages and other forces working against them this year. 

Season 3 is inspired by the second installment in Andrzej Sapkowski’s Witcher book series, Time of Contempt, and will finally see our hero reckoning with his feelings after two seasons of steely, tough-guy detachment. As creator Lauren Schmidt Hissrich explained to Tudum in April, “For years, Geralt has claimed neutrality, shunned politics and publicly asserted that witchers don’t have emotions — all to make his life as a killer easier to navigate. We’ve seen him battle monsters and monstrous humans; we’ve watched as he’s hardened himself in order to survive. This season, he can no longer do that.”

The new episodes are “the culmination of what we’ve been building toward all along,” said Hissrich. “We get to see everything on the Continent change, which is super exciting.” 

Can I watch another teaser for Season 3?

Absolutely, just watch the clip above. When the first teaser was released in April, Hissrich teased that Geralt is in his feelings this year. “He can’t pretend that he doesn’t feel,” she said. “He can’t pretend that he’s impenetrable. Because, despite the ups and downs of last season and the trust that has to be rebuilt, he’s realized that Yennefer and Ciri are his destiny, his family and the loves of his life. This is the foundation of his journey for the rest of his life — and the rest of this show.”

In fact, that’s why Geralt, Yennefer and Ciri are the three names you hear in the teaser, first with Geralt calling out for Yennefer and Ciri, and then Ciri’s voice crying out: “Geralt!” “This trio has been the focus of our stories from the beginning,” said Hissrich. “As viewers know, over the years their relationship has been equal parts elation and heartbreak, coming together and being ripped apart, dreaming of a future and accepting that it’s never that easy. This season is no different. Our family wants nothing more than to finally be together. Will that happen? Yes. Will it last? Stay tuned.”

No matter how long the three are physically together, their emotional bond is stronger than ever — which means they’re fighting harder than ever both for themselves and for each other. Put simply, the stakes are high, as you can see from the intense fight scenes in the teaser.

“At the end of Season 2, we learn from Geralt that Ciri ‘is marked for something. The daemon. The Wild Hunt. But it doesn’t end there. Mages, royals. If they know she’s alive, what she’s capable of — they won’t stop coming for her.’ His prediction is correct,” said Hissrich. “Everyone wants Ciri for their own purposes, and many will stop at nothing — even violence and killing — to get their hands on her. For Geralt, accepting that he’s part of a family means accepting help from others — which includes Yennefer and Jaskier.” 

And although the Wild Hunt is a threat Ciri doesn’t yet understand, it’ll “loom over Ciri from here on out,” said Hissrich. “Though this season ups the ante quite a bit.”

When does The Witcher Season 3 premiere? 

Season 3 is so epic that you have two different premiere dates to look forward to, as it’s being released in two separate volumes, exactly four weeks apart.

“When we wrote the season, we didn’t have batching in mind,” Hissrich reveals. “That said, for any fans who are familiar with The Time of Contempt novel, there’s an epic event that explodes the Continent as we know it — the lead-up to which provided a perfect cliff-hanger for us. We couldn’t have planned it better.”

The Witcher Season 3, Volume 1 debuts June 29, while Volume 2 debuts July 27.

How many episodes are in The Witcher Season 3?

The third season consists of eight brand-new episodes.

What are the episode titles of The Witcher Season 3?

Here are the titles of the five episodes in Volume 1, out June 29.

Episode 301: “Shaerrawedd”
Episode 302: “Unbound” 
Episode 303: “Reunion”
Episode 304: “The Invitation”
Episode 305: “The Art of Illusion”

Can I see another sneak peek of the new season? 

Sure! Click here to watch a behind-the-scenes featurette that debuted at Netflix’s global fan event, Tudum 2022. It’s day 54 of filming The Witcher Season 3, and Freya Allan is enjoying some on-set ups and downs aboard a chain ferry (a boat that’s guided by cables — a location we’ll see for the first time in the upcoming episodes). “It’s built on a rig, so basically it moves and feels like you’re on a really rubbish fairground ride,” she says. 

Meanwhile, Anya Chalotra teases a scene featuring Yennefer and Ciri going head-to-head. “We’ve got a lot to learn from each other,” she says of the two characters, who’ll share more scenes together this season than ever before. You can watch the whole clip in the Tudum 2022 event here. 

Is there a poster for Season 3 yet?

Sure is! And remember: Season 3 of The Witcher is headed your way in summer 2023. That leaves plenty of time to save up your coins.