Long COVID Mode

The Witcher III Long COVID Mode

by Stellar7Project for Long COVID Europe

Release Date: 12 May 2023

Version: 1. 0

Long COVID Mode is a mod created to shed light on how an estimated 65+ million Long COVID patients worldwide are living life on a whole new level of difficulty. Based on the experiences of the patients from the NGO, Long COVID Europe, this mod turns real Long COVID symptoms into in-game effects.

How does it affect the world of the Witcher?

Long COVID Mode introduces four stages of exertion to the game – EX1 (Fatigue), EX2 (Exhaustion), EX3 (Myalgia) and EX4 (PEM).

With each stage, the intensity of your symptoms increases exponentially, with EX4 being Post-Exertional Malaise (PEM)

where all symptoms are at their peak.

Compromised stamina and vitality: 

Stamina drains faster and regenerates slower with each stage.

Health starts to drain at EX3 to a lowered maximum.

Exertion Intolerance:

Exertion intolerance is a major symptom in debilitating conditions like Long COVID and ME/CFS.

It puts an invisible limit on every patient’s ability to perform any kind of physical, mental, or emotional effort.

Every time stamina reaches zero, you will suffer from Exertional Intolerance – depicted as a disorienting flash of

light that stuns you for 1-2 seconds. In later stages of exertion, this occurs repeatedly as stamina drain is faster.

Compromised lungs: 

Holding your breath under water becomes more difficult with every stage.

Specifically, air drain is 2X faster during EX2, 3X faster during EX3 and 4X faster during EX4.

Indigestion: 

Kicks in once you are beyond EX1 and occurs more often in later stages.

This causes food to drain health instead of regenerating it.

Brain Fog (Cognitive Dysfunction): 

At the EX3 stage, brain fog starts clouding your Witcher senses.

At EX4, it completely disables your Witcher senses.

Reduced concentration: 

Your crossbow shooting and bomb throwing accuracy get affected in EX4.

Losing track of time: 

In the later stages, meditating makes you lose track of time.

You finish earlier or overshoot your desired down time and return just as exhausted as you were at the beginning.

Weak memory: 

During EX4, you start leaving things behind.