A second modernisation for Geralt’s adventure

CD PROJEKT RED has announced The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt — Remastered, a new version of its 2015 role-playing game scheduled for release on September 29, 2026. It will be a free upgrade for existing owners on qualifying platforms, arriving on PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S. A native version will also launch for Nintendo Switch 2, while the game and its forthcoming expansion will additionally reach Battle.net through a partnership with Blizzard Entertainment.

The announcement is notable because The Witcher 3 has already received a substantial current-generation update. This new remaster therefore appears to go beyond a conventional resolution and performance refresh. CD PROJEKT RED is presenting it as a broader overhaul of visuals, controls, combat and progression systems, effectively extending the lifespan of one of the studio’s most commercially significant games.

The release coincides with the first public look at Songs of the Past, a third story expansion that returns players to Geralt of Rivia. The expansion is planned for 2027 and will be sold separately.

More than a graphical update

The stated changes to Remastered cover areas that can materially alter how a familiar game feels. The studio has cited upgraded textures, reworked lighting, ray-tracing improvements, revised rendering, improved traversal and movement, new monster behaviours, altered mount handling and additional Witcher sign effects.

Combat is also receiving attention through revised animations, a more dynamic camera and new finishing moves. Such adjustments matter because combat and responsiveness were among the systems most likely to show the age of the original design, despite the game’s enduring reputation for world-building and quests. The remaster’s aim appears to be to make encounters smoother and more readable without replacing the underlying adventure.

The greatest potential change lies in character progression. CD PROJEKT RED says the skill tree has been redesigned, with reworked existing abilities and new perks intended to make builds more flexible. That is a more consequential intervention than cosmetic improvements: it could affect levelling decisions, repeat playthroughs and the balance of Geralt’s combat styles.

Other additions include transmogrification for changing the appearance of equipment without sacrificing its statistics, an expanded photo mode and new finishers. Xbox versions will also support cross-platform mod functionality, although the precise breadth of mod availability across platforms has not yet been fully detailed.

For current owners, the pricing decision is central. The remaster will be free on eligible platforms rather than sold as a separate premium edition. CD PROJEKT RED has also made the original expansions, Hearts of Stone and Blood and Wine, available at no extra cost to current owners. That reduces the barrier to re-entering the game before the next major chapter arrives.

Songs of the Past opens a new region

The expansion will take Geralt to Letten, described as a rural realm of traditions, harvests and festivals that conceals a darker reality. It is also identified as the homeland of Dandelion, Geralt’s long-standing companion. The initial premise places the witcher alongside Dandelion on a personal matter before the apparently peaceful setting reveals a threat requiring Geralt’s skills.

CD PROJEKT RED has confirmed new monsters, mutagens and a chain weapon. The chain is framed as a callback to the opening cinematic of the original The Witcher, but it also has a practical combat role, particularly in controlling groups of enemies. These details suggest that Songs of the Past will introduce systems designed for a new adventure rather than operate solely as an additional quest line.

The expansion is being co-developed with Fool’s Theory, a Polish studio whose leadership includes developers with experience on The Witcher 3. CD PROJEKT RED is co-developing Remastered with Yigsoft, which has previously worked with the company. Splitting the projects across partner teams allows the publisher to update the established game while continuing wider work across the Witcher franchise.

A clear divide between current and previous hardware

The new content will not reach PlayStation 4, Xbox One or the original Nintendo Switch. CD PROJEKT RED says Songs of the Past and the associated updates are built on the technical foundation of the 2022 current-generation update and that development is now focused on modern hardware.

This is a significant caveat behind the free-upgrade message. Owners on earlier systems will retain access to the existing version of The Witcher 3 and its two original expansions, and technical support will continue. However, they will not receive the Remastered overhaul or the 2027 expansion.

The decision reflects the practical challenge of adding new visual features and systemic revisions to a game that launched more than a decade ago. It also gives the studio a more consistent technical baseline for the expansion, particularly as it introduces a new region, enemies and combat options.

Extending the value of a landmark game

The Witcher 3 has sold more than 65 million copies, according to CD PROJEKT RED, giving the company an unusually large existing audience for an upgrade and late-life expansion. Offering the remaster free to qualifying owners can encourage returns from players who have already completed the game, while making the newly included original expansions easier for base-game owners to sample.

At the same time, Songs of the Past creates a distinct commercial release in 2027. The arrangement separates the technical refresh from the paid narrative addition: players can revisit the core game at no additional charge, but those seeking the new Geralt story will buy the expansion.

The strategy also keeps The Witcher active between major series entries. Rather than treating Remastered as a simple archival release, CD PROJEKT RED is using it as the platform for a new chapter. Its success will depend on whether the changes preserve the original’s identity while making its combat, progression and presentation feel meaningfully renewed for current hardware.

Sources