Novigrad is a dump. It's a beautiful, sprawling, gold-plated dump full of religious zealots and people who would gut you for a crown. But if you’re playing Wild Hunt, you eventually have to deal with the local underworld. That brings us to the Witcher 3 Gangs of Novigrad quest, a piece of content that honestly feels like it was designed to break your brain—or at least your quest log. It’s one of those missions that sits awkwardly between two major plot threads, and if you don't play your cards exactly right, you’re going to end up with a big, red "Failed" mark staring you in the face. Nobody wants that.
The quest is basically a violent side-trip during "Get Junior." You’re looking for Whoreson Junior, a man who has managed to piss off every significant crime lord in the city. You meet Cleaver—real name Carlo Varese—a dwarf who doesn’t believe in subtle investigations. He wants to send his goons into Whoreson’s hideouts with axes swinging, and he wants Geralt to lead the charge. It sounds simple. It isn't.
The weird timing of Witcher 3 Gangs of Novigrad
Here is the thing about this quest: it’s incredibly easy to fail without even realizing you’ve started it. Most players pick it up right after the meeting at the bathhouse. Dijkstra, the King of Beggars, and Cleaver are all sitting there, steaming in the heat, discussing how Whoreson has broken the rules of the Big Four. Cleaver is the one who pulls you aside afterward. He's impatient. He’s got teams ready at the Arena and the Casino.
If you decide to be a "good" Witcher and investigate on your own first—maybe you want to use your Witcher senses and find some clues quietly—you’re already on the path to failing Witcher 3 Gangs of Novigrad. The game doesn't explicitly tell you that walking into the Casino or the Arena alone progresses "Get Junior" while simultaneously closing the window for Cleaver’s help. It's a binary choice the game pretends is a suggestion.
I’ve seen dozens of forum posts from people absolutely fuming because they finished the Whoreson storyline and suddenly got a notification that "Gangs of Novigrad" failed. It happens because you didn't talk to Cleaver's dwarves outside the specific locations. If you want the rewards and the XP, you have to play by the dwarf's rules, which means loud, messy combat.
How to actually finish it without failing everything else
You have to be precise. To "succeed" in the eyes of the quest tracker, you need to meet Cleaver’s henchmen outside the Arena or the Casino. Or both. Honestly, doing both is the way to go if you want the maximum payout. When you approach the Arena, don't go to the front door and talk your way in. Look for the group of dwarves standing nearby.
"Ready?" they'll ask.
Once you say yes, the investigation part of the quest is basically dead. You’re going in hot. You’ll slaughter everyone in the Arena, search the place, and then move on. The same applies to the Casino. It’s a bloodbath. The irony is that by doing this, you lose out on some of the cool, subtle dialogue options Geralt has when he's pretending to be a gambler or a gladiator. You’re trading narrative depth for a dwarf’s approval and a handful of crowns.
Is it worth it?
From a purely mechanical standpoint, yes. Cleaver pays well. But from a roleplaying perspective, it feels a bit "un-Witcher-like" to just kick down doors with a gang of thugs. Geralt is a lone wolf, usually. But hey, the game tracks completionism, and failing a quest feels like a stain on your save file.
The Casino problem and the missing halfling
There’s a specific detail in the Casino that people miss when they're rushing through with Cleaver's boys. There’s a halfling named Rico Meiersdorf being held captive on the top floor. He’s a spy for the King of Beggars. If you go in with the dwarves, the fighting is so chaotic that it’s easy to loot the bodies and leave without ever checking the upstairs rooms.
If you save Rico, you get another side quest called "Honor Among Thieves." This leads to a reward from the King of Beggars later on. If you go in solo, it's easier to find him because you're actually looking around instead of just parrying bolts and dodging cleavers. It’s a weird balancing act. To get the "perfect" Novigrad run, you essentially have to trigger the dwarves, kill everyone, but still remember to do the detective work you’re supposedly skipping.
Why the rewards are kind of a trap
Cleaver offers you 300 crowns. In the early game, that’s a decent chunk of change. By the time you’re halfway through the Novigrad arc, it’s the price of a few high-quality swords or some crafting components. The real "reward" is the XP and the satisfaction of a clean quest log.
But there’s a catch.
If you use the dwarves for only one location (either the Arena or the Casino) and do the other one solo, Cleaver only pays you half. He’ll call you out on it too. He’s a businessman, and he doesn't like half-measures.
💡 You might also like: Why Is The Last Of Us 2 Hated? The Real Reasons Behind Gaming's Biggest Fallout
- Full Success: Help the dwarves at both locations. Talk to Cleaver. Get 300 crowns.
- Partial Success: Help at one location. Cleaver gives you 150 crowns and a grumpy comment.
- Failure: Complete "Get Junior" without ever talking to the dwarf teams. Quest fails.
Common misconceptions about Whoreson Junior’s fate
A lot of players think that the Witcher 3 Gangs of Novigrad choice affects whether you can kill Whoreson Junior at the end of the main quest. It doesn't. Your choice of how to raid his hideouts is purely about the "Big Four" politics and your wallet. Whether Whoreson lives or dies is a decision Geralt makes later in his estate in Oxenfurt, and it’s based entirely on your own moral compass.
Actually, the "Gangs" quest is one of the few places where the game rewards you for being less of a Witcher and more of a mercenary. Usually, taking the "loud" path in a Witcher quest leads to worse outcomes or dead NPCs. Here, the "quiet" path just results in a failed quest notification. It’s counter-intuitive. It’s one of the few times the game’s design feels a bit dated, reflecting that mid-2010s obsession with "binary quest states" that don't always mesh with the narrative flow.
The Dijkstra factor
Sigismund Dijkstra is arguably the most interesting man in Novigrad, and he’ll have plenty to say about your involvement with Cleaver. While he doesn't directly penalize you for the "Gangs" quest, your relationship with the Big Four is a delicate thing. Cleaver is the muscle. Dijkstra is the brain. The King of Beggars is the heart (sorta).
By siding with Cleaver’s dwarves, you’re signaling that you’re willing to get your hands dirty in the city’s internal power struggles. This doesn't have massive long-term consequences for the ending of the game, but it does flavor the dialogue you get during the "State Reasons" questline much later. It's all about the atmosphere. Novigrad is a powder keg. "Gangs of Novigrad" is just you holding one of the matches.
The technicality of the "Failed" status
If you’re a perfectionist, the failure trigger for this quest is a nightmare. Technically, the quest fails the moment you talk to Vernon Roche or enter Whoreson Junior’s secret tunnel without having completed the raids with Cleaver. The game assumes that once you’ve found a way to reach Whoreson, the "gang war" is over.
You have to be proactive.
- Finish the bathhouse fight.
- Talk to Cleaver immediately outside.
- Go straight to the Arena or Casino.
- Do NOT go to the Oxenfurt gate.
- Do NOT talk to Roche.
If you follow that specific order, you'll keep the quest active. It’s a narrow window.
Most people find this out the hard way. They get to the end of the "Get Junior" mission, a massive, multi-stage epic, only to see that red X. It’s demoralizing. But that’s Novigrad for you. It’s a city that moves fast, and if you aren't ready to jump into the fray, the opportunities pass you by.
Actionable insights for your next playthrough
If you’re jumping back into the Continent for another run, here is how you should handle the underworld politics. First, don't rush into the bathhouse until you've cleared out some of your other side content. Once you start the "Big Four" stuff, the game’s pacing picks up significantly, and it’s easy to lose track of smaller missions.
When you do get to Witcher 3 Gangs of Novigrad, make a hard save. The quest is notoriously buggy. Sometimes the dwarves don't spawn correctly, or they get stuck on the environment while charging into the Casino. If that happens, the quest won't progress.
Also, keep an eye on your gear. These raids involve fighting a lot of human enemies in tight spaces. This is the time for the Igni sign and Grapeshot bombs. The dwarves are tanky, but they aren't immortal, and while the quest doesn't technically fail if they die, it makes the fight a lot harder for you.
Check the loot. The Casino raid specifically has some unique items and decent amounts of gold hidden in containers that you’ll miss if you just follow the quest markers. Take your time, even if Cleaver’s boys are yelling at you to hurry up. They can wait. You’re the one with the silver sword.
Finally, remember that this quest is optional. If you hate the idea of being a mob enforcer, you can just ignore Cleaver. Your quest log will have a failed entry, sure, but your Geralt will have his dignity. In the world of The Witcher, sometimes that’s the most expensive thing you own.
The best way to handle this is to visit the Arena with the dwarves to get the "Gangs" credit, then maybe handle the Casino more quietly so you can actually find Rico and get that extra content. It’s the "best of both worlds" approach that satisfies the completionist and the roleplayer in one go. Just make sure you talk to Cleaver before you head to Oxenfurt, or the whole thing is moot.