The Witcher 3 is getting a remaster — and Geralt is heading to a brand-new land
CD Projekt Red reveals a free remaster for existing players and a new Songs of the Past expansion set in the folklore-heavy region of Letten.
Geralt of Rivia is back on the Path, because apparently retirement is not available to professional monster hunters.
CD Projekt Red used Gamescom Opening Night Live to reveal The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt – Remastered, alongside the first proper look at Songs of the Past, a full-sized expansion planned for 2027.
The remaster launches on 29 September 2026. Songs of the Past does not yet have a more specific release date.
A new adventure in Letten
Songs of the Past takes Geralt to Letten, a new region described as an idyllic land shaped by rural traditions and folklore. Naturally, the presence of Geralt means the peaceful countryside is unlikely to remain peaceful for long.
The expansion will include a new story, side quests and secrets to discover. The trailer hints that something sinister sits at the centre of Letten, with Geralt facing unfamiliar monsters and a particularly unsettling tree-like creature.
The first footage also shows Geralt using a new chain weapon. It appears to give him a different way to control encounters and pull enemies into range, adding a new trick to a combat system most players have already spent hundreds of hours abusing with signs, bombs and a frankly irresponsible number of swallowed potions.
CD Projekt Red says the expansion is being developed with Fool’s Theory, the studio behind The Thaumaturge and Seven: The Days Long Gone. Songs of the Past is expected to lead into the wider story of The Witcher IV, although the developer is keeping the exact connection under wraps.
A free upgrade for existing players
The more immediate announcement is The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt – Remastered, a new version of the open-world RPG with upgrades to visuals, performance and gameplay.
The remaster will support ray tracing and cross-platform mod support, allowing community-created content to be shared across supported platforms. That could range from new quests and weapons to equipment, balance changes and other modifications that will inevitably make someone’s carefully tuned build completely ridiculous.
The remastered version will be available on PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S and Nintendo Switch 2. CD Projekt Red also confirmed that the original Nintendo Switch version will receive a free upgrade, although the exact technical differences between the two Switch versions still need clarification.
Existing owners on qualifying platforms can upgrade at no additional cost when the remaster launches on 29 September.
The Witcher joins Battle.net
CD Projekt Red is also bringing The Witcher 3 to Blizzard’s Battle.net launcher for the first time. The move gives PC players another storefront option and forms part of a wider collaboration between CD Projekt Red and Blizzard.
That partnership will also bring a Geralt-themed skin to Diablo IV. Players who pre-purchase Songs of the Past when it becomes available, or buy the expansion after launch, will receive access to the skin.
More information is expected at BlizzCon in September.
Our opinion
There is a risk that The Witcher 3 is becoming the game equivalent of a favourite pub that refuses to close, but this is a more convincing return than another simple re-release.
A free remaster for existing players is the right move, particularly when the upgrades include mod support and improvements beyond a higher-resolution texture pack. The Switch 2 version could also give Nintendo players a more capable way to experience Geralt’s enormous adventure without asking them to accept another heroic battle against blurry foliage.
Songs of the Past is the more intriguing announcement. Letten, the new chain weapon and the folklore-heavy setting suggest an expansion with its own identity rather than a handful of extra quests bolted onto an old map.
Geralt’s story may be approaching its final chapter, but CD Projekt Red clearly has no interest in letting him leave quietly.
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt – Remastered launches on 29 September 2026. Songs of the Past is coming in 2027.