CD Projekt Red dropped a big one to close out Gamescom's Opening Night Live: The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is getting a full Remastered version, and it lands as a free upgrade for all existing owners on September 29.
No new purchase required. If you already own the game, it just shows up.
What's actually changing in the Remastered version
This isn't a resolution bump and a new coat of paint. CD Projekt Red confirmed a fairly long list of gameplay changes alongside whatever visual improvements are coming. Enhanced combat sits at the top, along with improved traversal and movement, revamped mount handling, and enhanced monster behaviors. The skill tree is getting a full revamp too, and new finishing moves are being added.
Here's the thing: that list touches almost every system that players have criticized over the years. Movement in the base game always felt slightly floaty. Monster encounters could get repetitive. The skill tree was functional but rarely exciting. If the Remastered version actually delivers on all of those fronts, this could be the definitive way to experience the game going forward.
What's included and what's still coming
The Remastered version ships with both of the game's existing expansions, Hearts of Stone and Blood and Wine. That's the full package as it currently stands.
What it doesn't include is Songs of the Past, the third expansion that CD Projekt Red has confirmed for 2027. That's a separate release still in development. You can check out everything confirmed so far about The Witcher 3 Songs of the Past DLC release date if you want to know what's coming next for the series.
The Witcher 4 context
CD Projekt Red joint CEO Michał Nowakowski addressed The Witcher 4 directly ahead of Gamescom, confirming the Ciri-starring sequel is targeting a 2028 release window. The studio has over 500 developers working on it, and Nowakowski described it as their "biggest, boldest, and most ambitious game to date." No footage was shown at Opening Night Live, and none was expected.
The Remastered version of The Witcher 3 feels like a deliberate move to keep the series in players' hands while the next chapter finishes development. A free upgrade that meaningfully improves the game is a smart way to do that.
September 29 is closer than it sounds
That's just over a month away. Players who haven't touched The Witcher 3 in years have a real reason to go back, and anyone who never finished it has arguably the best version of the game arriving very soon.
For everything you need to prepare, the Witcher 3 guide collection covers builds, quests, and progression tips worth revisiting before the Remastered version drops.
