Open Sesame! in The Witcher 3: Who to Recruit for the Heist and Horst or Ewald
Witcher 3 Open Sesame!: who to recruit (Eveline, Quinto or Casimir), where the cook is, the heist, and whether to side with Horst or Ewald Borsodi.
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Updated October 2026. Open Sesame! is Olgierd's second wish in Hearts of Stone: bring him Maximilian Borsodi's House. That turns out to mean robbing the Borsodi auction house vault in Oxenfurt with a crew of specialists. You recruit a break-in artist and a safecracker, spike the guards' stew, and in the vault you have to pick a side between the two Borsodi brothers. Here's who to hire and what each choice changes.
Quick answer
Break-in artist: Eveline Gallo is the only one you can actually hire. Hugo Hoff is already dead, but checking on him gives extra XP.
Safecracker: Quinto or Casimir. Your pick changes the enemies in the heist, and the two end up on opposite sides.
Guards: craft a Cleansing Mixture, then bribe (500 crowns) or Axii the cook, Maarten, at the docks by day.
Final choice: stick with Ewald (the Stranger) or switch to Horst. You fight whichever brother you didn't choose.
Reward: 1,150 XP for the main quest, plus 150 XP for each recruitment sub-quest.
Open Sesame! Walkthrough
1. The Borsodi Auction House
Go to the Borsodi auction house in Oxenfurt and ask for the owner, Horst Borsodi. He throws Geralt out as soon as he hears what you want. Upstairs you can look at the art, meet Vivaldi's friends (optional) and find Countess Mignole's earring with your witcher senses if you agree to help. Sit down for the auction. Fextralife notes that some art pieces sold here are needed for Hearts of Stone side quests, so bring money.
After the auction, a stranger approaches Geralt with a plan to rob the vault. Meet him at the herbalist's hut near Oxenfurt and give the password; you may have to fight guards or Fallen Knights on the way. Agree to the heist and you get the formula for the Cleansing Mixture. Then recruit the crew through three sub-quests.
Recruiting the Crew
Open Sesame: Breaking and Entering (Break-in Artist)
The crew needs someone to climb the tower next to the auction house. There are two candidates, but only one can be hired:
| Candidate | What happens | XP |
|---|---|---|
| Hugo Hoff (Oxenfurt) | Knock on his door, notice the blood and follow the footprints to the river. Three thugs attack. Their bodies hold a note and Hugo's ear: he's dead. | 150 for finding out |
| Eveline Gallo (circus northwest of Carsten) | She'll join either way. Help her troupe by taking part in the show (shoot four apples held by Meryn) or refund the audience yourself: 400 crowns if you talked to her privately, 600 if not. | 150 when hired |
Open Sesame: The Safecracker
You can hire Quinto or Casimir Bassi. Who you hire changes the enemies you meet during the heist, and the two pick opposing sides at its end.
| Safecracker | How to recruit | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Quinto | He's in a cage held by Hans of Cidaris, not far from the herbalist's hut. Talk to Quinto in the cage. Hans wants 200 crowns (400 if you squeezed him for more money on his contract). Haggle it down, or beat him at Gwent or in a fight to free Quinto for nothing. | Opens the vault quietly; you fight monsters inside. He can wait for you at the Oxenfurt gate at midnight while you check out Casimir. |
| Casimir Bassi | On his roof in Alness, threatening to blow himself up. Avoid the sympathetic answers or he does it. Mocking or recruiting him leads to a fistfight (he joins whether you win or lose), or use Axii. | Uses explosives. You must hire him on the spot, or he blows himself up. |
Casimir can die before you hire him. If you sympathize with him, tell him to wait or refuse to explain the heist, he blows himself up and Quinto becomes your only option.
Open Sesame: Witcher Seasonings (the Stew)
Craft a Cleansing Mixture: one Dwarven Spirit, two Rotfiend Blood and two Wolfsbane (Otto Bamber sells them all; see our alchemy recipes guide). At the auction house, use your witcher senses to eavesdrop on the guards from the edge of the marked area until they mention the cook. Find Maarten at the dock near the Western Gate during the day; he isn't there at night. Bribe him with 500 crowns or use Axii, and he'll spike the garrison's stew (150 XP).
The Heist
When all three tasks are done, go back to the herbalist's hut. You can go together right away or meet at the auction house gateway around midnight. Inside, you fight the guards, take hostages and negotiate. Depending on your crew and answers, Redanian soldiers may attack. Down in the vault, Quinto's route means fighting monsters.
The Choice: Ewald or Horst
In the vault you're offered a chance to switch sides. Your answers:
| Answer | Result |
|---|---|
| "I'm in" | You side with Horst and fight Ewald (the Stranger). |
| "Can't bribe me. I'll stick to Ewald" | You stay loyal to Ewald and fight Horst. |
| "Not about to meddle in your grimy matters." | You refuse to get involved in the brothers' dispute. |
Afterwards, take Maximilian's House, find the secret way out of the vault with your witcher senses, leave the auction house and bring the house to Olgierd. His third wish follows; see our Olgierd guide and O'Dimm riddle guide for where the story goes.
Video: Horst or Ewald
Frequently Asked Questions
QWho should I recruit for the heist?
For the break-in artist, Eveline Gallo is the only option because Hugo is already dead. For the safecracker, Quinto opens the vault quietly (with monsters inside), while Casimir uses explosives. Both work.
QCan I save Hugo Hoff?
No. He's dead before you arrive; following his trail just earns you some XP.
QWhere is the cook for Witcher Seasonings?
Maarten is at the dock near Oxenfurt's Western Gate during the day. He isn't there at night.
QShould I side with Horst or Ewald?
It's up to you. Siding with Horst means fighting Ewald, and staying with Ewald means fighting Horst. Either way you leave with Maximilian's House.
QShould I buy art at the auction?
Fextralife notes that some pieces are needed for Hearts of Stone side quests, so it's worth bringing money.
Before this: Dead Man's Party. More: how to start Hearts of Stone and all Witcher 3 quests.
Sources: in-game quest text and journal; steps and choices checked against the Witcher Wiki pages for the three Open Sesame sub-quests and the Fextralife page for Open Sesame! Screenshots: gameplay frames from YouTube walkthroughs by Game With The Guys, ElGamer, misternoobie, Alchemy Gaming, SpartanRavager and CINEMATIC GAMING.
Kai Mercer covers game news, free games, release calendars and guides for xGamerss.
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