Start your download now, because The Witcher 3 is getting remastered again. If that sentence gave you deja vu, you're not wrong, this game has been re-released more than once, but the version CD Projekt Red just announced at gamescom Opening Night Live is the real deal. Complete lighting overhaul, ray tracing, an updated skill tree, new finishers, and a free upgrade for anyone who already owns the game. Here's everything you need to know before it launches.
WHEN DOES THE WITCHER 3 REMASTERED RELEASE
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Remastered launches on September 29, 2026. CD Projekt Red announced it during gamescom Opening Night Live on August 25, alongside a first look at the game's next expansion. That's a fast turnaround, about a month from announcement to release, so if you're planning to jump back into White Orchard, mark the date.
IS THE WITCHER 3 REMASTERED FREE
Yes. Remastered is a free upgrade for anyone who already owns The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt on a qualifying platform. It will replace the current Complete Edition on storefronts once it launches, so new buyers automatically get the remastered version going forward. CD Projekt Red has also made the two original expansions, Hearts of Stone and Blood and Wine, free for all base game owners, and that update is already live now, ahead of the remaster itself.
WHAT'S NEW IN THE WITCHER 3 REMASTERED
This isn't just a visual polish pass. CDPR is touching the way the game actually plays, on top of a serious graphics overhaul. Some of the bigger changes:
- Global lighting rework, ray tracing improvements, and path tracing on PC
- Raytraced hair, subsurface scattering, and a new tone mapper
- Nvidia DLSS 4.5, AMD FSR 4, and Intel XeSS 2.0 support
- Updated skill tree and enhanced combat, including new finishers
- Enhanced monster behavior and AI
- Revamped mount handling and improved traversal and movement
- Armor transmogrification and an expanded photo mode
- Refined animations, new quest tracking, and general UI improvements
- PS5 Pro support and Xbox Play Anywhere support
CDPR's team has said the focus was on removing the small friction points that stood out if you were playing the game fresh in 2026, animation, camera work, pathfinding, accessibility, not just a simple texture upgrade.
THE WITCHER 3 REMASTERED ON NINTENDO SWITCH 2 AND BATTLE.NET
The Witcher 3 is landing on two brand new platforms alongside the remaster. There's a native Nintendo Switch 2 version with its own exclusive features, and thanks to a new partnership between CD Projekt Red and Blizzard Entertainment, the game is also coming to Battle.net. Both launch September 29, and Switch 2 pre-orders are already live. Buy it through Battle.net and you'll also unlock a Geralt-inspired skin in Diablo 4.
Full disclosure, I bought this game again for the Switch 2 and never made it past a couple hours due to the limitations of the original Switch. I'm excited to give it a real shot this time, especially with the Switch 2 and a native version built for handheld play. If you're setting up a proper station for this one, that's exactly what our Switch 2 accessories are built for, a clean dock at home so it's ready the second you want to jump back into White Orchard.
SONGS OF THE PAST: THE NEXT WITCHER 3 EXPANSION
The remaster wasn't the only reveal. CDPR also showed a first look at Songs of the Past, a new paid expansion co-developed with Fool's Theory, a studio led by Witcher 3 veterans. It sends Geralt to Letten, a new region built around rural tradition and folklore that's hiding something darker underneath. Songs of the Past is available to wishlist now but won't launch until 2027, so the remaster is very much the thing we're excited for.
SHOULD YOU JUMP BACK IN?
Between the free upgrade, the visual overhaul, and the fact that it's finally native on Switch 2, this is about as good a reason as you'll get to reinstall The Witcher 3, whether that's your first playthrough or your fifth. Are you adding it back into your catalog? Let us know in the comments, and check out the full breakdown in the video above.