The Witcher 3 is Getting a Massive Full Remaster as a Free Upgrade Very Soon
The remaster includes a Switch 2 version, a free upgrade for all existing owners of the game, and there's even a new DLC on the way next year as well.
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CD Projekt Red announced during Gamescom Opening Night Live The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt – Remastered, a dramatically overhauled and upgraded new version of its acclaimed open-world RPG. The new edition launches on September 29, 2026
The remaster will be available as a free upgrade for existing owners on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S. The new edition will also mark The Witcher 3’s official debut on Nintendo Switch 2.
Despite arriving only four years after The Witcher 3 received its major next-generation update, Remastered appears to be considerably more ambitious than a conventional graphical refresh. CD Projekt Red is revisiting several of the systems that define the experience, including combat, character progression, movement, and equipment customization.
The visual upgrades include new textures and improved rendering intended to modernize the environments and characters. The announcement trailer showed familiar locations with more detailed surfaces, enhanced foliage, improved lighting, and a generally denser presentation.
Combat is also being reworked with a new camera, targeting system, and animations. These changes could prove more meaningful than the visual improvements, as Geralt’s movement and the responsiveness of combat have remained among the most frequently criticized elements of the otherwise acclaimed RPG. The stiffness is part of the personality, some might say.
New finishing moves will expand Geralt’s combat animations, while adjustments to general movement and horse controls should make both exploration and battles feel more responsive. CD Projekt Red is also redesigning the game’s skill trees, although the full extent of those changes has not yet been revealed.
Equipment transmog is another major addition, allowing players to change the appearance of Geralt’s armor without sacrificing the statistics of their preferred equipment. The feature should make it easier to maintain a consistent visual style while experimenting with different character builds.
The package includes the complete base game alongside its two major expansions, Hearts of Stone and Blood and Wine. Both expansions will benefit from the remaster’s technical and gameplay improvements.
The Witcher 3 originally launched in 2015 and won Game of the Year that year, going on to sell more than 60 million copies, making it one of the most commercially successful role-playing games ever released. CD Projekt Red is now preparing to extend its lifespan well into a second decade.
The remaster arrives ahead of Songs of the Past, the newly announced third expansion for The Witcher 3. Co-developed by CD Projekt Red and Fool’s Theory, the expansion will return players to the role of Geralt for a new adventure when it launches in 2027.
Fool’s Theory employs several developers who previously worked on The Witcher series and is also rebuilding the original 2007 game as an Unreal Engine 5 open-world RPG. CD Projekt Red has not yet confirmed whether the studio is involved with the newly announced Witcher 3 remaster.
Meanwhile, The Witcher 4 is targeting a 2028 launch and will begin a new saga starring Ciri. Together, the remaster, Songs of the Past, the original game’s forthcoming remake, and The Witcher 4 all represent an unusually busy period for the franchise.
Will you replay The Witcher 3, or maybe play it for the first time?
CD Projekt Red
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