CD Projekt Red announced a sweeping remaster of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt coming as a free update next month, bundled with both original expansions, Hearts of Stone and Blood and Wine, at no additional cost. The remaster arrives alongside the new expansion Songs of the Past, which launches later this year.
This move represents CD Projekt Red's aggressive strategy to recapture momentum for the 2015 action RPG. The company revealed the remaster plan at Gamescom 2024, catching players and industry observers off guard. The timing coincides with the surprise announcement of Songs of the Past, a paid expansion that marks the game's first substantial new content since launch, nine years ago.
The free remaster refreshes The Witcher 3's visuals, gameplay systems, and performance across PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S. Previous free updates in 2024 already overhauled the game's user interface and introduced quest improvements. This new remaster goes deeper, targeting rendering quality, character models, and environmental detail. The effort demonstrates CD Projekt Red's commitment to keeping the aging open-world RPG competitive against newer releases and next-gen expectations.
Including both original expansions at no cost amplifies the offer. Hearts of Stone and Blood and Wine remain among gaming's best-regarded DLC packages, collectively offering 30-plus hours of story content. By bundling them free with the remaster, CD Projekt Red removes friction for returning players and creates an even stronger value proposition for newcomers.
The timing strategy reveals calculated business thinking. CD Projekt Red needs to rebuild goodwill following Cyberpunk 2077's disastrous 2020 launch. While Cyberpunk has stabilized and improved through updates, The Witcher 3 remains the studio's most beloved property. By refreshing it extensively and offering free expansion content, the company positions itself as generous and player-focused, especially as it ramps hype for the paid Songs of the Past expansion.
Songs of the Past introduces a new story chapter set years after the base game's conclusion, featuring Ciri as a protagonist returning to the fractured world of the Northern Kingdoms. CD Projekt Red has remained tight-lipped about pricing and release timing beyond "later in 2024," but the free remaster and included original expansions create strong momentum heading into the paid expansion's launch.
Market strategy matters here. The Witcher 3 sold over 30 million copies, but 2024 console generation refresh creates an opportunity to reintroduce the game to players upgrading from PS4 and Xbox One. A comprehensive remaster targets that audience directly. The free expansion bundle sweetens the deal further, encouraging existing players to jump back in before spending money on Songs of the Past.
CD Projekt Red's approach contrasts sharply with industry trends toward premium cosmetics, battle passes, and paid expansion models. Offering this much content free sends a clear message about player value and studio confidence in the upcoming paid expansion's quality and appeal.
The remaster launches across all platforms simultaneously next month, with no platform-exclusive benefits or staggered releases. PC players gain access to technical improvements optimized for current-generation graphics cards, while console players receive frame rate and fidelity upgrades specific to PS5 and Xbox Series hardware capabilities.