The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt — Remastered launches on September 29, 2026, and if you already own the game on a current-generation platform, it costs you nothing. CD PROJEKT RED is shipping it as a free upgrade on PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S and Nintendo Switch 2 — the last of which gets the first native Witcher 3 build in the series’ history. The studio has also quietly handed every existing owner the two expansions, Hearts of Stone and Blood and Wine, for free, and rearranged how the game is sold across every storefront.
That combination — a free upgrade, free expansions, a new platform and a reshuffled store listing — has created a lot of confusion about who actually gets what. Here is the confirmed picture as of September 12, 2026, drawn from CD PROJEKT RED’s own press releases, the official Witcher 3 website FAQ, and Steam’s live store data.
Key takeaways
- Release date: September 29, 2026, on all four current-gen platforms simultaneously.
- Free upgrade for owners on PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S and Switch 2. PS4 and Xbox One are not included.
- Switch 2 gets the first native version, with motion controls, gyro aiming, mouse input and touch-screen Gwent.
- Hearts of Stone and Blood and Wine are now free for everyone who owns the base game — including on PS4 and Xbox One.
- Cross-platform mod support is a confirmed headline feature, not just a PC one.
- Battle.net becomes a Witcher storefront for the first time, through a new CD PROJEKT RED–Blizzard partnership.
- Songs of the Past, a paid third expansion, follows in 2027.
The Witcher 3 Remastered release timeline
| Date | What happened |
|---|---|
| May 18, 2015 | The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt originally released |
| August 25, 2026 | Remastered announced at gamescom Opening Night Live; Hearts of Stone and Blood and Wine made free for all owners that day |
| September 9, 2026 | Switch 2 version featured in a Nintendo Direct; free eShop pre-orders open for digital Switch owners |
| September 29, 2026 | Remastered launches on PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S and Switch 2, plus Battle.net |
| 2027 | Songs of the Past, the paid third expansion, arrives |
Who gets the free upgrade — and who doesn’t
This is the part worth getting right, because CD PROJEKT RED’s wording (“a free upgrade for existing owners on qualifying platforms”) does a lot of quiet work. The official FAQ on thewitcher.com spells out what “qualifying” means: the Remastered upgrade will be available on all current-generation platforms — PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S and Nintendo Switch 2.
Read that as a hard line. If your copy lives on a PS4 or an Xbox One and you have not moved to current-gen hardware, the Remaster is not coming to you. That is a meaningfully different arrangement from the 2022 next-gen update, which sat alongside last-gen versions. The compensation is that last-gen owners still get Hearts of Stone and Blood and Wine free — the FAQ confirms both expansions are available to download at no cost on PS4 and Xbox One.
Switch owners have their own wrinkle. The 2019 Switch release was a heavily compressed port, and it earns a free jump to the native Switch 2 build. CD PROJEKT RED’s September 9 announcement confirms digital Switch owners can pre-order Remastered for free from the eShop right now, while owners of a physical Switch cartridge will be able to claim the upgrade on launch day rather than in advance. If you own the card and can’t find a pre-order button, that is expected behaviour, not an error.
What’s actually changing in the Remaster
CD PROJEKT RED is co-developing Remastered with Yigsoft, a studio it describes as having a proven track record on The Witcher 3 already. The confirmed feature list is unusually broad for something badged as a remaster — it reaches into systems, not just pixels.
Visuals
Officially: improved environment, NPC and monster textures; major enhancements to foliage; and reworked lighting, rendering and ray tracing. The official site also lists “realistic light and shadow” as a separate bullet, which suggests the lighting rebuild goes beyond the ray-tracing modes bolted on in 2022.
Combat and animation
Revamped animations, brutal new finishers, and an adaptive camera, with CD PROJEKT RED promising action that feels “more dynamic, fluid, and kinetic”. The gamescom announcement adds improved traversal and movement, new witcher sign effects, revamped mount handling, and enhanced monster behaviours. Roach’s handling being singled out in a press release is its own kind of admission.
A rebuilt skill tree
The one genuinely structural change: an overhauled skill tree that “modernizes character progression, offering deeper flexibility and greater impact on your playstyle”. The Witcher 3‘s original progression is the part of the game that has aged least gracefully — mutagens and a narrow set of viable builds — so this is the change most likely to alter how a replay feels rather than how it looks.
Cross-platform mod support
Listed plainly on the official site as “Cross Platform Mod Support”. The significance is that Witcher 3 modding has been a PC-only culture for a decade, built around Nexus and later the REDkit toolset. Extending it across platforms would put console players within reach of that library for the first time. CD PROJEKT RED has not yet published the details of how curation, storage or compatibility will work, so treat the scope as confirmed but unspecified.
Quality-of-life
Transmogrification — letting you keep a set’s stats while wearing another’s look — plus an expanded photo mode and “immersive meditation”. Small things, but transmog in particular has been one of the most-requested Witcher 3 mods for years.
The Switch 2 version is doing the most
Of the four platforms, Switch 2 is where the Remaster is least like a straight port. CD PROJEKT RED’s Nintendo Direct announcement confirms the build uses the console’s input hardware directly: motion controls let you cast witcher signs, fire the crossbow, throw bombs, drink potions, and spur or stop Roach. Gyro aiming adds precision in combat, mouse controls are supported for players who prefer that input, and the touch screen handles map and menu browsing — including playing Gwent by hand.
That is a considerably richer control scheme than the game offers anywhere else, and it lands in a strong stretch for the platform. Nintendo’s September showcase was dense enough that the Witcher segment was easy to miss — our rundown of the Zelda 40th Anniversary Direct and September 2026 Nintendo Direct covers everything else announced alongside it.
PC specifics are still an open question
Here is where to be careful, because a number of sites are circulating precise-sounding PC requirements for the Remaster. CD PROJEKT RED has not published them. The support page that carries the game’s official system requirements still describes the 2022 next-gen update, and has not been revised since.
What is confirmed comes from Steam itself: the store page for The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt — Complete Edition currently lists the 2022-era specs with a note appended to both the minimum and recommended tiers — “System requirements will change on 2026.09.29.” So the bar is moving on launch day, officially. The numbers being quoted around specific GPUs, RAM totals and SSD requirements are not yet sourced to CD PROJEKT RED, and we will update this piece when the real figures land.
The same caution applies to upscaler support and per-console performance modes. If you are sizing up hardware in the meantime, our PS5 Pro vs PS5 comparison and 2026 handheld gaming PC guide cover what current hardware actually delivers today.
What changed on storefronts — and what it means if you own the game
Alongside the announcement, CD PROJEKT RED restructured how The Witcher 3 is sold. Per the official FAQ:
- The standalone expansions are delisted. You can no longer buy Hearts of Stone or Blood and Wine separately.
- The base game is replaced by the Complete Edition, with both expansions merged into it. Only the Complete Edition is sold from now on.
- If you already own the expansions, they stay in your library, but the content is now patched into your base game.
- To unlock the expansions, you simply update the game to the latest version.
- Save files remain compatible, and cross-progression continues to work as before.
- Achievements and trophies are unaffected, including those from both expansions.
- Existing mods are not expected to break from the storefront change — CD PROJEKT RED notes the game itself is unchanged by it, and points players to individual mod authors for specific issues.
On Steam, the Complete Edition currently sells for $49.99 and carries a Metacritic score of 93. For new buyers, that single purchase is now the entire package — base game, both expansions, and the September 29 Remaster upgrade — which makes it a markedly better deal than it was a month ago.
Songs of the Past: the first new Witcher 3 content in a decade
The Remaster is a runway for something bigger. Songs of the Past is a paid third expansion launching in 2027 on PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S and Switch 2, and it is wishlistable now. It takes Geralt to Letten, a brand-new region CD PROJEKT RED describes as “an idyllic land of rural tradition that hides a dark secret just below the surface” — bountiful harvests, lavish festivals, and a long-dormant evil underneath.
Mechanically, the headline addition is a new weapon: a chain. Geralt will also face what the studio calls never-before-seen foes and reunite with old friends across a story built, as ever, on choices and consequences. It is being co-developed with Fool’s Theory, a studio whose leadership, in CD PROJEKT RED’s words, is made up of Witcher 3 veterans.
Battle.net, Blizzard, and a Diablo 4 crossover
The oddest item in the announcement: CD PROJEKT RED has partnered with Blizzard Entertainment to bring both Remastered and Songs of the Past to Battle.net, a first for the series. Players who buy the expansion on Blizzard’s platform will unlock a Geralt-inspired skin in Diablo 4. The studio said further details would be shared when it attends BlizzCon in September — which is happening this weekend, so expect specifics imminently.
Verdict: who should care, and when
If you own The Witcher 3 on current-gen hardware, there is no decision to make. Update on September 29 and you get every one of these changes for free, with your saves and trophies intact.
If you’ve never played it, wait for the 29th rather than buying now. The price is the same either way, and you will start on the rebuilt skill tree and improved combat instead of the 2015 versions.
If you’re a Switch player, this is the most interesting version of the four. A native build with gyro aiming and touch-screen Gwent is not a compromise port; it is arguably the definitive handheld way to play a 100-hour RPG.
If you’re on PS4 or Xbox One, claim the free expansions now, but the Remaster is a reason to consider the hardware jump rather than something you can wait out.
The timing is also worth noting. September 29 sits in an extraordinarily crowded run-up — Ghost of Yōtei’s Complete Edition on October 1, Modern Warfare 4, and GTA 6 on November 19. A free upgrade to a 93-rated RPG you already own is an unusually easy thing to slot into that calendar. You can find more of our coverage in the Games hub, and if you want something to hunt in the meantime, our Monster Hunter Wilds combat guide is a good companion piece.
Frequently asked questions
Is The Witcher 3 Remastered free?
Yes, if you already own The Witcher 3 on PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S or Nintendo Switch 2. It is a free upgrade on all current-generation platforms. New buyers purchase the Complete Edition, which includes the Remaster upgrade.
Do PS4 and Xbox One owners get the Remaster?
No. CD PROJEKT RED’s official FAQ limits the Remastered upgrade to current-generation platforms. Last-gen owners do, however, get Hearts of Stone and Blood and Wine free.
How do I get the free upgrade on Switch 2?
If you own The Witcher 3 digitally on the original Switch, you can pre-order Remastered for free on the Nintendo eShop now. If you own a physical cartridge, you will be able to claim the upgrade when the game launches on September 29.
Will my old save files still work?
Yes. CD PROJEKT RED confirms save files remain compatible and cross-progression continues to function as before. Achievements and trophies are also unaffected.
What are the PC system requirements for the Remaster?
They have not been published yet. Steam’s store page confirms the requirements “will change on 2026.09.29”, but CD PROJEKT RED’s official specs page still lists the 2022 next-gen update figures. Treat any specific GPU or RAM numbers circulating before launch as unconfirmed.
What is Songs of the Past?
A paid third expansion launching in 2027, set in a new region called Letten, adding a chain as a new weapon. It is co-developed with Fool’s Theory and is available to wishlist now.
Sources
- CD PROJEKT RED — The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt — Remastered Announced, Songs of the Past Gets First Look
- CD PROJEKT RED — Remastered for Nintendo Switch 2 Featured on Latest Nintendo Direct
- The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt — official website and upgrade FAQ
- The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt — Complete Edition on Steam
Buying rather than upgrading? Our guide to what The Witcher 3 Complete Edition includes covers the price, both expansions, and why existing owners should not buy anything.
All details accurate as of September 12, 2026. We will update this article when CD PROJEKT RED publishes the Remaster’s final system requirements and per-platform performance modes.
