Witcher 3 Remastered: Should You Turn On Enemy Upscaling?

Ever wandered back into White Orchard at level 30, sneezed, and watched a pack of drowners evaporate? That's the problem Enemy Upscaling in The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Remastered is designed to solve.

So what actually is it? Enemy Upscaling is an optional setting that bumps weaker enemies up to a level closer to your own, so those early-game bandits and wolves don't become total pushovers once you've out-leveled them. Instead of steamrolling everything in your path, you'll face foes that can actually fight back.

Why would you want that? Simple: challenge. The Witcher 3's open world lets you roam almost anywhere, which means it's easy to become overleveled for large chunks of the map. Turn Enemy Upscaling on and those forgotten corners of Velen stay dangerous, keeping combat tense and rewarding instead of a one-hit cakewalk.

But there's a catch, and it's a big one. Upscaled enemies don't just get more health and damage — they scale to your level, which can make certain fights brutally unfair. Rats are the classic example: normally trivial, but with upscaling on they can shred you in seconds. If you're playing on a higher difficulty, stacking upscaling on top can turn some encounters into genuine nightmares.

There's also the question of how it feels. Some players love the consistent challenge, while others find it breaks the power fantasy. Part of the fun of an RPG is going back and stomping enemies who once gave you trouble. Upscaling takes that away — every fight stays roughly as hard as the last, no matter how much you've grown.

So should you use it? If you want every encounter to matter and you're confident in your build, go for it. If you'd rather enjoy the story, explore freely, and feel your character get stronger, leave it off. You can always toggle it in the settings and see how it feels for yourself.

What do you think — is Enemy Upscaling a must-have challenge boost, or does it ruin the fun of being a powerful witcher? Will you be turning it on for your next playthrough?