Summary
✓Reviewed by Laura Bennett CD PROJEKT RED announced The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt — Remastered during the Gamescom Opening Night Live showcase on August 25, 2026, confirming a September 29, 2026 release date across PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S,...
Table of contents
- 1 What CD PROJEKT RED Is Delivering
- 2 New Platform Partnerships: Battle.net Joins the Lineup
- 3 Nintendo Switch 2: A Native Build, Not a Port
- 4 What Changes and What Stays the Same
- 5 Songs of the Past: A New Expansion Teased for 2027
- 6 Context: Gamescom Opening Night Live 2026
- 7 What to Watch Next
- 8 Sources
CD PROJEKT RED announced The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt — Remastered during the Gamescom Opening Night Live showcase on August 25, 2026, confirming a September 29, 2026 release date across PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch 2 — with the upgrade provided free of charge to all existing owners on current-generation platforms and PC.
The announcement, which closed the Gamescom Opening Night Live broadcast hosted by Geoff Keighley, was confirmed simultaneously via CD PROJEKT RED’s official press portal and reported by Reuters on August 26, 2026. The remaster also serves as a precursor to an entirely new expansion — The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt — Songs of the Past — which CD PROJEKT RED is targeting for a 2027 launch.
What CD PROJEKT RED Is Delivering
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt — Remastered is not a cosmetic touch-up. According to the official announcement, the package includes both existing expansions — Hearts of Stone and Blood and Wine — alongside a set of substantive improvements: overhauled visuals, reworked combat mechanics, and a reimagined skill tree that CD PROJEKT RED says will give returning players meaningful reasons to start a new playthrough.
The official press release stated: “CD PROJEKT RED is pleased to announce The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt — Remastered is launching on September 29, 2026.” The studio described the release as the definitive version of a game that originally launched in May 2015 — more than eleven years ago.
As reported by IGN, the free upgrade applies to owners on PC (via GOG and Steam), PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S. Notably, there is no upgrade path for the original Nintendo Switch version; the Nintendo Switch 2 release is a separate, native build that will be sold independently.
New Platform Partnerships: Battle.net Joins the Lineup
One of the most surprising elements of the announcement was a new distribution partnership. CD PROJEKT RED confirmed that The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt — Remastered will also launch on Battle.net — Blizzard’s PC gaming platform — marking the first time a major CD PROJEKT RED title has been distributed through that storefront. The studio offered no further details on the commercial terms of the arrangement, but the move is seen as a significant step in expanding the game’s reach on PC.
Nintendo Switch 2: A Native Build, Not a Port
The Nintendo Switch 2 version of The Witcher 3 Remastered is being developed as a native release, not a port of the 2019 Switch version. CD PROJEKT RED did not specify a price for this standalone version, but confirmed it will launch on September 29, 2026 alongside the other platforms. For Switch 2 owners who have been waiting for a version of Geralt’s adventure suited to the hardware, this is the announcement that settles the question.
Players interested in building out their Nintendo Switch 2 library from day one can check the Nintendo Switch 2 launch lineup for a full picture of confirmed titles on the platform.
What Changes and What Stays the Same
Based on the official announcement materials, here is what has been confirmed for the remaster versus what carries over unchanged:
| Feature | Status in Remastered |
|---|---|
| Visual fidelity | Overhauled — improved lighting, textures, draw distance |
| Combat system | Reworked mechanics confirmed |
| Skill tree | Reimagined — new progression structure |
| Hearts of Stone DLC | Included at no extra cost |
| Blood and Wine DLC | Included at no extra cost |
| Upgrade cost (PC/PS5/Xbox Series X|S) | Free for existing owners |
| Nintendo Switch 2 | Native build — sold separately |
| Nintendo Switch (original) | No upgrade path confirmed |
| Battle.net | New distribution platform added |
Songs of the Past: A New Expansion Teased for 2027
The remaster announcement came packaged with a first look at The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt — Songs of the Past, a brand-new expansion that CD PROJEKT RED is targeting for a 2027 release. The studio shared what it described as a first-look teaser alongside the Gamescom reveal, though no gameplay was shown and no specific 2027 date was given. The expansion’s title and the remaster appear designed to re-engage both long-time players and an entirely new audience before Songs of the Past arrives.
CD PROJEKT RED’s strategy here follows a pattern familiar to the studio — the 2022 “next-gen” update for The Witcher 3 on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S similarly revived player interest ahead of a content wave. This time, the upgrade is substantially deeper in scope.
Context: Gamescom Opening Night Live 2026
The Witcher 3 remaster was among the closing announcements at Gamescom Opening Night Live 2026 on August 25, sharing the spotlight with HoYoverse’s reveal of Nodusfall, its new multi-mythology co-op action game. Gamescom Opening Night Live — produced annually by Geoff Keighley — has become one of the gaming calendar’s most-watched showcase events, with publishers and developers increasingly using it as a venue for major announcements outside of June’s summer conference window.
For players who have been enjoying the current generation of hardware, the September 29 date is notable. Those considering whether the PlayStation 5 Pro warrants an upgrade for titles like this remaster can read our PlayStation 5 Pro 2026 review for a detailed performance breakdown.
What to Watch Next
CD PROJEKT RED has not yet confirmed a specific price for the Nintendo Switch 2 standalone version of the remaster, and has not detailed whether the Battle.net version will carry any platform-exclusive features or pricing differences. Further information on the Songs of the Past expansion — including story details, the expansion’s geographic or narrative setting within the Witcher universe, and a release window — is expected in the months ahead.
Key dates and watch points:
- September 29, 2026 — The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt — Remastered launches on PC (GOG, Steam, Battle.net), PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch 2
- Free upgrade — automatically delivered to existing PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S owners
- 2027 — Songs of the Past expansion targeted; no specific date confirmed
- Switch 2 pricing — to be confirmed by CD PROJEKT RED ahead of September 29
- Battle.net details — partnership terms and any exclusives not yet disclosed
For players who have been waiting to experience The Witcher 3 on a handheld device with current-generation fidelity, September 29 now marks a concrete date on the calendar. The combination of a free upgrade for existing owners, a native Switch 2 build, and a new expansion on the horizon makes this one of CD PROJEKT RED’s most significant announcements since the Cyberpunk 2077 2.0 update in 2023.
