Although it's amassed countless of accolades since its release in 2015, frequently cited as many people's game of the decade if not all time, I've never quite loved The Witcher 3, even though I do admire a lot of its rich worldbuilding, narrative, and how CD Projekt Red has just continued improving it with update after update, as well as chucking in many extras for free that other publishers would happily charge you for the privilege.
But with hype for The Witcher 4, not even due until 2028 at the earliest, there's still time for me to get Witcher-pilled, and its upcoming expansion Songs of the Past may just be the one to do it.
During Gamescom 2026, I got to sit through a live demo of the expansion being played by a CDPR developer, and it was certainly in the most impressive conditions as it was a build running on a PC with the latest RTX 50 series GPU, and it was in a theatre with a big screen that would catch any blemishes. Frankly, if I knew nothing about the game and someone had told me it's from a game first released over a decade ago, I wouldn't have believed it.
This however isn't an expansion for the base game but rather an expansion for its remaster, announced during Gamescom Opening Night Live, and due for release 29 September, meaning even more of a graphical overhaul compared to the 'next-gen' update it already received back in 2022 (like that update, this remaster is also free for any players who already own the game).
More impressive is Songs of the Past's setting in a new region called Letten, which puts its best feet forward to stun you with its idyllic green pastures, inspired by both Polish and English countrysides, which Geralt also happens to be a few away from its gorgeous serene lake that you can take a boat out on.
Normally, you'd think of The Witcher universe as a grimdark one, with lots of murky greys while Geralt can barely go anywhere without catching the ire of people who either fear or loathe his kind but still require his professional monster-killing skills.
With Letten however, it seems the studio purposely wanted to create a place isolated from all the troubles plaguing the rest of The Continent, allowing you to bask in its natural beauty, with the story itself also occurring just as a festival has taken place, which explains why our witcher is introduced wearing a cosy traditional outfit after a night of making merry with the locals.
Letten also happens to be the home of Geralt's best friend Dandelion, whose current whereabouts is unknown, though once you turn up to his family house, the grand architecture is enough to remind you of the bard's aristocratic origins, as you meet the grand matriarch Astrid and Dandelion's cousins Lilla, the strained family tensions communicated not just through dialogue but subtle facial expressions and body language.
Of course, this isn't just a walk-and-talk expansion, as the demo skips to evening when Geralt is back in his witcher garb, and accompanied by Lilla, to investigate Letten's forest in search of the 'garden of thorns' where hostile threats await. It's a good time to showcase the other major improvements from the remaster.
Fundamentally, the one gripe I've always had about The Witcher 3 is its combat system, which was often hampered by inconsistent and long-winded animations, so there's a lot that this remaster seeks to finally correct.
As we're shown the menu screen, the remaster and expansion actually has a proper skill tree that makes it easier to tailor your playstyle. Besides new combat animations and VFX for signs, there's even new finishers that make fighting feel that bit more satisfying.
For that, I also got to get a look at the chain, a new weapon in Geralt's arsenal that would have been impossible to realise with the original game's clunky combat system. But with this new tool, it's a cool way for crowd control like pulling enemies in closer to you. In one particularly standout moment, Geralt yanks on a new humanoid monster called a Swarmion, and follows up with the swing of his sword in his other hand that takes its head clean off.
While Songs of the Past will no doubt sing on the highest spec PC, I'm personally most excited to experience it on the Switch 2 - you may be surprised that of the screenshots shown here, many of these are actually from the Switch 2 version. Better yet, for those who did buy the 'impossible' and compromised Switch 1 port originally, you're also eligible for the free remaster upgrade as other platforms.
Whichever platform you decided to play it on though, it's good to know that Geralt will be getting the encore he deserves.
The Witcher 3: Songs of the Past releases in 2027 for PC, PS5. Xbox Series X/S and Nintendo Switch 2, with The Witcher 3 Remastered coming to the same platforms 29 September.
In the meantime, join the debate over the surprisingly controversial new CD Projekt Red logo.
