The Witcher 3's Big Comeback: Free Remaster and Upcoming DLC

At the end of the Gamescom 2026: Opening Night Live presentation, CD Projekt RED revealed their immediate plans for the The Witcher franchise. Since the full-fledged fourth installment, featuring Ciri as the protagonist and currently in development by over 500 developers, is not expected until 2028, the creators decided to shorten the wait by revitalizing the third game. They are preparing a brand-new story expansion and a comprehensive remaster.

The third major expansion will be titled Songs of the Past

Although the Blood and Wine expansion was considered the definitive end of Geralt's story for many years, we will see a third major expansion in 2027. It will be titled Songs of the Past.

The story begins with an invitation from an old friend, leading Geralt to a brand-new region called Letten. According to initial information from the creators, it won't be a peaceful location – a new, sinister threat lurks beneath the surface. The studio already showcased the first glimpses of this area in the Gamescom trailer.

What we know about the expansion so far

• It brings a completely new storyline, side quests, and never-before-seen characters.
• It will be sold separately (it will not be an automatic part of the upcoming remaster).
• The update will also include new content for the popular Gwent card mini-game.

Remaster arrives in September – focusing on gameplay

Even before the DLC release, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt will receive a full-fledged remaster, launching on September 29, 2026. It will be available on PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and will also launch natively on the new Nintendo Switch 2 console.

Few people probably expected this announcement. The third Witcher already received an enhanced version for new consoles, but this remaster goes even further! I've been roaming Velen with Geralt for a few weeks now, and I'm looking forward to playing the second half of the game in even better quality.

Crucially, this remaster will be completely free to download for all existing owners of the original game. Players will automatically gain access to both previous major expansions (Hearts of Stone and Blood and Wine) as part of the update. For the PC version, expect increased minimum hardware requirements due to the enhancements.

CD Projekt RED emphasizes that this won't just be a standard graphical upgrade. The developers have delved deep into the core mechanics of the 11-year-old game and promise modernized gameplay. Confirmed changes include:

• Overhauled combat system: Includes new mechanics and adds new finishers.
• Movement and exploration: Character movement through the world should be smoother and more modern.
• Improved horse riding: Overall horse controls will be adjusted.
• Enemy behavior changes: Monsters will receive AI and behavior pattern adjustments.
• Character progression: The game will offer a completely revamped skill tree.
• Expanded Photo Mode: Players will get more tools to capture the improved visuals.

Further details and a complete list of changes should be revealed by the developers in the coming weeks before the September release.