If you’re looking at The Witcher 3 on a storefront right now and wondering which version to buy, the answer has just become simple: there is only one. CD PROJEKT RED is replacing the Base Game with the Complete Edition and delisting the standalone expansions, and the studio is blunt about what that leaves: “From now, only the Complete Edition will be available.”
It costs $49.99 on Steam, it contains both expansions, and on September 29th, 2026 it becomes The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt — Remastered as a free upgrade.
Quick answer
- What it includes: the base game plus Hearts of Stone and Blood and Wine.
- Price: $49.99 on Steam.
- Already own the base game? Don’t buy anything — both expansions are yours at no extra cost.
- Already bought an expansion? You keep it; the content is patched into your base game.
- September 29th, 2026: it upgrades free to Remastered on qualifying platforms.
What’s Actually in the Complete Edition
CD PROJEKT RED describes it as the definitive way to play this legendary dark fantasy RPG, including two acclaimed expansions: Hearts of Stone and Blood and Wine. That’s the whole proposition — one purchase, the full story, no separate DLC to hunt down.
The Complete Edition is the same game with everything folded in, not a different or cut-down version — the base game and both expansions in a single purchase.
You Probably Don’t Need to Buy It
This is the part worth checking before you spend anything. If you already own The Witcher 3 in any form, the expansions are coming to you for free.
- Own the base game on PC? “Simply update the game to the latest version to install Hearts of Stone and Blood and Wine.”
- On PS4 or Xbox One? Both expansions are available to download for free.
- Already bought an expansion? You keep it in your library, and its content is now patched into your base game.
So the Complete Edition is really for new buyers. Existing owners get the same content by updating.
What Changes on 29 September 2026
The Complete Edition isn’t the end state. CD PROJEKT RED’s page carries a firm date: Coming September 29th, 2026, when the game becomes The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt — Remastered.
The upgrade is free — “Upgrade to Remastered for free if you own The Witcher 3 on qualifying platforms” — and Steam’s listing says the same thing, describing technical and gameplay upgrades that modernize visual fidelity, combat, skill progression and more as part of a free upgrade for current owners.
What the studio says you’re getting:
- Visuals: improved environment, NPC and monster textures, major enhancements to foliage, and reworked lighting, rendering and ray tracing.
- Combat: revamped animations, new finishers, and an adaptive camera.
- Progression: an overhauled skill tree that modernizes character progression.
- Extras: Cross Platform Mod Support, transmogrification, immersive meditation and an expanded photo mode.
Your Saves and Mods
Two questions people reasonably worry about when a game is restructured mid-life, both answered directly by the studio.
Saves: “Your save files remain compatible and Cross Progression will remain functional the same as before.”
Mods: the game itself remains unchanged, so CD PROJEKT RED doesn’t expect the change to affect them — though if a specific mod misbehaves, its creator is the right place to ask.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I still buy just the base game?
No. CD PROJEKT RED’s answer is explicit: from now, only the Complete Edition will be available.
Is the Complete Edition the same as Remastered?
Not quite. The Complete Edition is what you buy today; on 29 September 2026 it upgrades, free, to The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt — Remastered.
I own Hearts of Stone — is my purchase wasted?
No. You keep it in your library, and the content is patched into your base game.
What does it cost?
$49.99 on Steam at the time of writing.
Details are accurate as of 16 September 2026. For the full picture on the remaster — including platforms and the Switch 2 question — see our guide to Witcher 3 Remastered’s release date and free upgrade. For what CD PROJEKT RED is building next, we cover when The Witcher 4 might arrive and the CDPR confirmation that started it.
Sources
