The Witcher 3 Remastered Is Free for All Owners, Songs of the Past Expansion Revealed
CD Projekt Red delivered one of the biggest surprises at Gamescom Opening Night Live 2026, announcing The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Remastered as a free upgrade for all existing owners, launching September 29. More than just a visual coat of paint, the remaster packs in over 30 improvements, including reworked combat described as "more dynamic, fluid, and kinetic," immersive meditation, a loot rework, new quest tracking, HDR support, PS5 Pro support, raytraced hair, and a set of exclusive features for Nintendo Switch 2. Players who own the base game but not the expansions are also getting Hearts of Stone and Blood and Wine bundled in at no extra charge.
Alongside the remaster reveal, CDPR finally gave Songs of the Past, the long-teased third major expansion for The Witcher 3, its proper debut trailer. Set roughly 12 years after the base game's original 2015 release, the expansion showcases first gameplay footage and introduces a brand-new chain weapon for Geralt that lets him yank enemies toward him in a move that observers have likened to Scorpion's signature "Get over here" from Mortal Kombat. The expansion will be a paid addition on top of the free remaster. Rounding out the announcements, CDPR also revealed a partnership with Blizzard, bringing The Witcher 3 to Battle.net and adding a Geralt skin to Diablo 4, with CD Projekt Red teasing that this is "just the beginning" of the collaboration.
Key Insights
- 1The Witcher 3 Remastered is a free upgrade for all existing owners, launching September 29, 2026, and includes more than 30 gameplay and visual improvements beyond just updated graphics.
- 2Existing owners who do not own Hearts of Stone or Blood and Wine will receive both expansions at no cost as part of the remaster package.
- 3The Songs of the Past expansion received its first gameplay trailer at Gamescom ONL 2026, debuting a new chain weapon that lets Geralt pull enemies toward him.
- 4CD Projekt Red and Blizzard announced a partnership that brings The Witcher 3 to Battle.net and adds a Geralt cosmetic skin to Diablo 4, with more crossover content hinted at.
- 5The remaster includes platform-specific perks such as Nintendo Switch 2 exclusive features and PS5 Pro support, signaling a broad multiplatform push.
Sources
The Witcher 3 Songs of the Past Expansion: Everything Revealed at gamescom ONL 2026
IGN · 1d ago
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Remastered Is a Free, Huge Upgrade Out September 29
Game Informer · 1d ago
Gamescom Trailer Reveals First Gameplay (And A New Weapon) For The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Songs Of The Past
Game Informer · 1d ago
CD Projekt Red snuck 30 improvements into The Witcher 3 Remastered reveal, including "immersive meditation," new quest tracking, a loot rework, and Switch 2 exclusives
GamesRadar · 1d ago
The Witcher 3 Remastered has "improved combat," which hopefully fixes the 2015 RPG classic's biggest problem
GamesRadar · 1d ago
CD Projekt Red sweeten the Witcher 3 Songs of the Past honeypot with a free base game remaster, and, oh yeah, both original expansions too
Rock Paper Shotgun · 1d ago
Witcher 3 DLC Gameplay Reveal Shows Geralt Pulling A Mortal Kombat 'Get Over Here' With New Monster-Slaying Weapon
Kotaku · 1d ago
11-Year-Old The Witcher 3 Is Getting A Remaster And It's A Free Upgrade
Kotaku · 1d ago
The Witcher 3 Remastered Launches September as a Free Upgrade for Existing Owners
IGN · 1d ago
'The Witcher 3' Is Getting a Free Remaster With Improved Combat and Gorgeous New Graphics
Polygon · 1d ago
The Witcher 3 Remastered announced: another huge free update, and all Witcher 3 owners get the existing expansions free
PC Gamer · 1d ago
The Witcher 3 Remastered announced, an overhaul free for existing owners, while expansion Songs of the Past finally shown
Eurogamer · 1d ago
Blizzard and CD Projekt Red team up for Diablo 4 Geralt skin and The Witcher 3 on Battle.net
GamesRadar · 1d ago
The Witcher 3 Remastered Is Adding Dozens Of Upgrades And It Might Be Free For You
GameSpot · 1d ago
The Witcher 3 Remastered First Look Officially Revealed At ONL
TheGamer · 1d ago
Comments (0)
Sign in to join the discussion.