When it comes to AAA gaming, it's not often that a company gives away a free gift these days. It's understandable that some are still searching for the catch with CD Projekt Red's announcement that The Witcher 3 Remastered will be available at no cost to anyone who bought the original game.
Announced during Gamescom Opening Night Live, the September release will feature a plethora of upgrades to the original 2015 open-world RPG, from visuals to gameplay and performance. Anyone who bought the original for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S will qualify to receive it, and, Nintendo Switch players will be able to claim a native Nintendo Switch 2 version of the game, with pre-orders open at Nintendo now.
CD Projekt Red's The Witcher 3 Remastered promises enhanced combat, improved traversal and movement, overhauled mount handling, revamped monster behaviours, a skill tree update, transmogrification, expanded photo mode and new finishers.
In the brief "and more" section at the end of the reveal trailer, the developer listed no fewer than 30 upgrades, from cross-platform mod support to immersive meditation, refined animations, UI tweaks, updated textures, HDR and ray tracing improvements, a global lighting rework, new shading model and a new tone mapper.
Fans are excited about the move to full path tracing, including ray-traced hair, and revamped combat, while PC gamers are celebrating the elimination of DirectX 11 for native DX12.
And best of all, it's the kind of free gift that's almost unheard of in the industry. That decision is winning CD Projekt Red (CDPR) massive respect from players and differentiating it from competitors like Rockstar (GTA Trilogy) or Sony (The Last of Us Part I).
The studio could have charged for the upgrade or made it an entirely separate game to purchase, but it seems that after backlash over Cyberpunk 2077’s troubled launch, it's deliberately positioning itself as a studio that values players. It's even now giving away the existing DLCs Blood and Wine DLC and Hearts of Stone for free too.
Voici une comparaison entre la version Switch et Switch 2 de The Witcher III ‼️Ce Remastered offre un réel gap visuel, on a limite l’impression d’être sur un Remake… pic.twitter.com/AOEngHTNmuAugust 26, 2026
It all makes great business sense. By giving the millions of players who already own The Witcher 3 a free upgrade, it strengthens brand loyalty, primes the audience for the paid Songs of the Past extension in 2027, and should help keep players engaged until The Witcher 4, which is expected in 2028.
The remaster is also a technical showcase demonstrating new cutting-edge features. Offering it free maximises visibility while ensuring that Geralt’s saga remains central to the franchise as we look forward to Ciri taking the lead in The Witcher 4.
CD Projekt Red also shared a new teaser for Songs of the Past, the upcoming third expansion of the game. The DLC will feature the new region of Letten, described as an idyllic land rich in rural tradition and folklore but with a dark secret lurking just beneath the surface.
The Witcher 3 Remastered will be available from 29 September. Songs of the Past will be released in 2027 as a paid expansion for The Witcher 3 on PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch 2. It's available to wishlist now for select platforms.
