The Witcher 3 remastered launches September 29 with new DLC

CD PROJEKT RED announced The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt — Remastered at gamescom Opening Night Live on August 25, 2026, with a September 29 launch date. The witcher remastered update is a free upgrade for qualifying owners and adds visual, combat, and gameplay improvements. A first look at the 2027 expansion Songs of the Past was also revealed.

Ten years after Geralt of Rivia first rode into our living rooms, one of the most celebrated RPGs in history is getting a second wind. CD PROJEKT RED used the gamescom 2026 spotlight to confirm that The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt — Remastered arrives on September 29, while debuting the teaser for Songs of the Past, a paid expansion set in an entirely new region called Letten. For a franchise that has sold more than 65 million copies and collected over 250 Game of the Year awards, this is a statement of intent heading into the next decade of Witcher storytelling.

Key Takeaways

• The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt — Remastered launches September 29, 2026, on PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch 2, and Battle.net.
• Existing owners on qualifying platforms receive the remaster as a free upgrade, and all current owners now get Hearts of Stone and Blood and Wine at no extra cost.
• Songs of the Past, co-developed with Fool's Theory, is a paid expansion launching in 2027 set in the new region of Letten.
• Remastered adds enhanced combat, a revamped skill tree, transmogrification, expanded photo mode, improved traversal, and more.
• CD PROJEKT RED also announced a Blizzard Entertainment partnership bringing the game to Battle.net with a Diablo 4 crossover skin.

What's New in The Witcher 3 Remastered?

The announcement trailer shown during gamescom Opening Night Live outlined a sweeping modernization of the 2015 classic. According to CD PROJEKT RED's official press release, Remastered touches nearly every pillar of the experience — visuals, performance, gameplay, and quality-of-life systems.

Combat has been enhanced with new witcher sign effects, new finishers, and smarter monster behaviors. Traversal and movement have been improved, and mount handling has been revamped. A full skill tree revamp gives players a reason to experiment with builds, while transmogrification and an expanded photo mode add fresh customization options. Remastered is being co-developed with Yigsoft, a studio that previously worked on Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty and The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt — Complete Edition.

This remaster follows the next-gen upgrade CD PROJEKT RED released in 2022, but the studio is positioning this release as the definitive version ahead of Songs of the Past in 2027 and The Witcher 4, which The Verge reports is targeting a 2028 launch.

Is The Witcher 3 Remastered a Free Upgrade?

Yes — for most existing players. CD PROJEKT RED confirmed that Remastered is a free upgrade for owners of The Witcher 3 on qualifying platforms: PC (via GOG, Steam, and the Epic Games Store), PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S.

In an additional surprise announced on stage by gamescom host Geoff Keighley, all current owners of The Witcher 3 immediately gained free access to both acclaimed expansions — Hearts of Stone and Blood and Wine. Players yet to experience the critically acclaimed DLC can now do so ahead of Remastered's September launch.

Newcomers who have never owned the game will need to purchase Remastered outright, which includes the base game and both expansions. Pre-orders for the native Nintendo Switch 2 version are available now.

Where Can You Play The Witcher 3 Remastered?

Remastered launches simultaneously on PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch 2 on September 29, 2026. The Switch 2 release marks the first native version of The Witcher 3 on a Nintendo platform.

CD PROJEKT RED also announced a partnership with Blizzard Entertainment to bring both Remastered and Songs of the Past to Battle.net. Players who purchase the expansion on Blizzard's platform will unlock a special Geralt-inspired skin in Diablo 4, with further details expected at BlizzCon in September.

During gamescom, the studio is hosting guided presentations in Hall 8.1. REDstreams presentations throughout the event will stream on YouTube and Twitch for fans not attending in person.

What Is Songs of the Past?

Songs of the Past is the third major expansion for The Witcher 3. Launching in 2027 as a paid expansion, it sends Geralt to Letten — a brand-new region described as an idyllic land of rural tradition and lavish festivals rooted in folklore, with a dark secret lurking beneath the surface.

Geralt will wield a new weapon called the chain and gain new abilities as he faces never-before-seen foes and reunites with old friends. The expansion is co-developed with Fool's Theory, a Polish studio whose leadership includes Witcher 3 veterans. Songs of the Past is available to wishlist now on PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch 2.

Why Does a Witcher Remaster Matter Now?

By modernizing The Witcher 3 ahead of Songs of the Past and The Witcher 4, CD PROJEKT RED ensures that lapsed players and new audiences experience Geralt's world at its best — through a cohesive remaster built for current hardware, not a 2015 release with piecemeal patches.

The timing also taps into a broader trend of beloved games returning in polished form, a pattern our Nostalgia: Then & Now coverage has tracked across major franchises. With free expansions available now, a remaster landing in five weeks, a new region in 2027, and a full sequel targeting 2028, CD PROJEKT RED is betting that Geralt still has stories worth telling.