The Witcher 3 Remastered: Out Now, Free Upgrade and PC Requirements

The Witcher 3 Remastered launched on September 29, 2026, for PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S and Nintendo Switch 2, and it is out now. Announced during Gamescom 2026 Opening Night Live, the enhanced edition introduces upgraded graphics, reworked combat, improved movement, a redesigned skill tree, cross-platform mod support and numerous other gameplay improvements.

Existing owners on PC and current-generation consoles get The Witcher 3 Remastered as a free upgrade. CD Projekt Red has also made the Hearts of Stone and Blood and Wine expansions free for everyone who owns the base game, allowing players to experience Geralt’s complete existing adventure before the new Songs of the Past expansion arrives in 2027.

This is a more extensive overhaul than the free next-generation update released in 2022. Although it retains the original story and open world, the remaster changes character progression, combat animations, monster behavior, traversal, horse controls, lighting and other major systems.

Is The Witcher 3 Remastered out now?

Yes. The Witcher 3 Remastered launched on September 29, 2026 on PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S and Nintendo Switch 2, as a free upgrade for existing owners. On PC it is available through Steam, GOG and the Epic Games Store, and for the first time it can also be bought on Battle.net and on the Microsoft Store as an Xbox Play Anywhere title. On supported platforms, Remastered replaces the Complete Edition.

The launch has been a huge success in terms of players. The Witcher 3 set a new all-time Steam record on October 4, with more than 137,000 people playing at the same time, beating its previous peak from 2015. Early critic reviews have also been very positive.

Launch week wasn't entirely smooth on PC. Many AMD graphics card owners hit rendering problems on day one, which led to a wave of negative Steam reviews. AMD released a graphics driver fix within hours, and CD Projekt Red has been releasing hotfixes since launch, including work on PC lighting and console performance. If you're on an AMD card, make sure your graphics driver is up to date before playing.

The new expansion, Songs of the Past, is still scheduled for 2027.

The Witcher 3 Remastered at a glance

CD Projekt Red unveiled the remaster alongside the first teaser for Songs of the Past, a third paid expansion that will take Geralt to the new region of Letten in 2027.

When is The Witcher 3 Remastered release date?

The Witcher 3 Remastered released on September 29, 2026, and it is out now.

The upgraded game launched simultaneously on PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S and Nintendo Switch 2. It also brought The Witcher 3 to Battle.net for the first time, through a partnership between CD Projekt Red and Blizzard Entertainment.

The announcement came during Gamescom Opening Night Live on August 25, giving players approximately five weeks between the reveal and release.

Watch The Witcher 3 Remastered trailer

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The trailer demonstrates the improved environments, combat animations, lighting and character models while revisiting familiar locations from Geralt’s original adventure.

Although the changes are visually substantial, the remaster does not replace the original story. Players will still follow Geralt’s search for Ciri while travelling across Velen, Novigrad, Skellige and the other established regions.

Is The Witcher 3 Remastered a free upgrade?

Yes. The Witcher 3 Remastered is a free upgrade for existing owners on current-generation platforms.

Existing The Witcher 3 owners will receive the remastered upgrade for free.Image: CD Projekt Red

CD Projekt Red's official FAQ confirms exactly who gets the upgrade:

Hearts of Stone and Blood and Wine are included, even if you only ever owned the base game. Achievements you've already earned carry over, because Remastered is an updated version of the same game. The free Switch 2 upgrade and free expansions are not offered in Russia or Belarus.

Hearts of Stone and Blood and Wine are now free

All owners of The Witcher 3 base game can now access Hearts of Stone and Blood and Wine without paying an additional fee.

This means players no longer need the Complete Edition to access the two existing expansions.

The acclaimed Hearts of Stone expansion is included with The Witcher 3 Remastered.Image: CD Projekt Red

Hearts of Stone

Hearts of Stone follows Geralt after he accepts a dangerous contract involving the immortal Olgierd von Everec and the mysterious Gaunter O’Dimm.

The expansion provides a more concentrated story than the main game, with difficult choices and one of the series’ most memorable antagonists.

Blood and Wine is included with The Witcher 3 Remastered.Image: CD Projekt Red

Blood and Wine

Blood and Wine takes Geralt to Toussaint, a colorful region hiding a series of violent murders beneath its picturesque appearance.

It contains a substantial new map, quests, monsters, equipment and character-progression systems. Its size makes it closer to a standalone adventure than a conventional DLC pack.

Both expansions are included in Remastered, so every owner gets the complete existing storyline.

The Witcher 3 Remastered brings upgraded visuals to Geralt’s open-world adventure.Image: CD Projekt Red

Upgraded visuals and ray tracing

The Witcher 3 Remastered includes another significant visual overhaul.

Confirmed graphical improvements include:

• Higher-quality environmental textures
• Improved NPC textures
• More detailed monster textures
• Major foliage enhancements
• Reworked lighting
• Improved rendering
• Enhanced ray tracing
• More realistic light and shadow

These changes should affect every region rather than being restricted to selected locations.

The 2022 next-generation update already introduced ray tracing, upgraded assets and improved console performance. Remastered will build upon that foundation with new rendering work and more extensive environmental changes.

On PC, Remastered also adds path tracing. On PS5 Pro, PSSR upscaling delivers 60 fps with ray tracing on, and a performance mode runs at up to 90 fps on VRR displays.

Geralt of Rivia returns with enhanced character detail and upgraded visuals in The Witcher 3 Remastered.Image: CD Projekt Red

Combat has been substantially reworked

The Witcher 3 Remastered introduces more dynamic combat through new and revised animations.

Confirmed combat changes include:

• Revamped attack animations
• New finishers
• An adaptive combat camera
• Improved dodging
• New Witcher Sign effects
• Enhanced monster behavior
• More responsive movement

The original game’s story and quest design remain highly regarded, but its combat can feel less fluid than more recent action RPGs. Improving Geralt’s responsiveness could therefore be one of the remaster’s most important changes.

Enhanced monster behavior may also make familiar contracts less predictable, although CD Projekt Red has not explained whether enemy artificial intelligence or complete encounter designs have been changed.

The skill tree has been redesigned

Character progression receives a more substantial overhaul through a reimagined skill system.

The new skill tree is intended to offer:

• Greater build flexibility
• More meaningful upgrades
• Stronger effects on individual playstyles
• Modernized character progression

The original game allows Geralt to specialize in swordsmanship, Witcher Signs, alchemy or hybrid combinations. Remastered should retain these broad paths while revising how abilities are unlocked and equipped.

Because the skill system has changed so much, loading an existing save resets Geralt's skills, so you can rebuild him with the new tree.

The remaster introduces a revamped skill tree covering combat, signs and character upgrades.Image: CD Projekt Red

Improved movement and horse controls

Geralt’s traversal and general movement are being updated.

The Witcher 3 Remastered includes:

• Improved character movement
• Revised traversal
• Updated animations
• Better mount handling
• More responsive horse controls

Roach receives revamped mount handling as part of The Witcher 3 Remastered’s gameplay improvements.Image: CD Projekt Red

Roach’s unpredictable behavior has become one of the original game’s longest-running jokes. Improved mount handling could make travelling across the Continent less frustrating, particularly when navigating forests, bridges and narrow paths.

The announcement does not confirm whether terrain collision or automatic path-following has also been reworked.

Transmogrification has finally been added

The remaster introduces transmogrification, commonly shortened to transmog.

This allows players to use the visual appearance of one piece of equipment while retaining the statistics of another. Geralt can therefore wear a preferred armor design without sacrificing a stronger build.

Transmogrification has been frequently requested because some of the game’s best statistical equipment does not necessarily match a player’s preferred appearance.

The system should be particularly useful during New Game Plus and the two expansions, where equipment appearance and power can vary considerably.

The Witcher 3 Remastered adds transmogrification, allowing players to customise Geralt’s appearance while retaining their preferred equipment stats.Image: CD Projekt Red

Cross-platform mod support confirmed

The Witcher 3 Remastered includes cross-platform mod support.

Yes. The Witcher 3 Remastered adds mod.io integration on consoles, so cross-platform mods can bring custom quests, weapons, equipment and balance changes to PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S players as well as PC. The PC version already has a huge modding community.

Because Remastered changes so many systems, older PC mods may need updating by their authors before they work with the new version. Check each mod's page before you update, and back up your saves. If you use mods with cross-progression, remember that both platforms need the same mods installed.

The Witcher 3 Remastered expands Photo Mode, giving players more options for capturing Geralt’s most dramatic battles.Image: CD Projekt Red

Expanded photo mode and immersive meditation

Photo mode will receive additional options, providing more control when capturing Geralt, monsters, characters and landscapes.

The announcement also confirms “immersive meditation,” although CD Projekt Red has not fully explained the system.

Meditation currently allows Geralt to advance time and restore certain resources. The redesigned version may present the process more naturally within the world rather than relying entirely on menu screens.

Nintendo Switch 2 receives a native version

The Witcher 3 Remastered launched natively on Nintendo Switch 2 on September 29, 2026, and owners of the original Switch version can claim it for free.

The Switch 2 version makes good use of the hardware, with motion controls for the crossbow, bombs, Witcher Signs, potions and Roach's speed, gyro aiming, mouse controls, and touch-screen support for the map, menus and Gwent.

The original Witcher 3 was ported to Nintendo Switch in 2019, but substantial compromises were required to run the enormous open-world RPG on the older hardware.

Geralt explores an ornate interior filled with detailed architecture, stained glass and atmospheric lighting.Image: CD Projekt Red

The Witcher 3 is now on Battle.net

The remaster is also sold on Battle.net through a partnership between CD Projekt Red and Blizzard Entertainment, and on the Microsoft Store as an Xbox Play Anywhere title.

It is the first time The Witcher 3 has been sold through Blizzard's PC platform.

Players who purchase the Songs of the Past expansion through Battle.net will receive a Geralt-inspired cosmetic skin for Diablo 4.

Existing Steam, GOG and Epic Games Store owners do not need to repurchase the game through Battle.net to receive the free remaster upgrade.

How is Remastered different from the 2022 update?

The 2022 next-generation update improved The Witcher 3 with ray tracing, faster loading, quality-of-life changes, a closer camera and current-generation console support.

The Witcher 3 Remastered goes further by changing or adding:

The remaster is therefore not simply a new name for the existing current-generation version.

Does The Witcher 3 Remastered include new story content?

The remaster itself does not contain a newly announced story campaign.

It includes:

• The original Wild Hunt storyline
• Hearts of Stone
• Blood and Wine

The new Songs of the Past storyline is a separate paid expansion scheduled for 2027.

Its Gamescom teaser revealed Letten, an apparently peaceful region filled with rural traditions, folklore, harvests and festivals. Beneath that peaceful surface lies a dormant evil that Geralt must confront.

Songs of the Past arrives in 2027

Songs of the Past will continue Geralt’s story in 2027.

The expansion introduces:

• The new region of Letten
• New enemies
• Returning characters
• New abilities
• A new chain weapon
• Difficult decisions and consequences

CD Projekt Red is co-developing the expansion with Fool’s Theory, a studio led by developers with previous experience working on The Witcher 3.

The Witcher 3 Remastered is being co-developed with Yigsoft, which previously contributed to The Witcher 3 Complete Edition and Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty.

A sinister creature emerges from the darkness during one of Geralt’s encounters.Image: CD Projekt Red

Do existing saves work with The Witcher 3 Remastered?

Yes. CD Projekt Red's official FAQ confirms that your existing Witcher 3 saves work in Remastered. Because the skill system has been overhauled, your skills are reset when you load an old save, so you'll need to spend your points again in the new skill tree. Achievements you've already earned carry over.

If you want to move a save between platforms, use the game's cross-progression with a free CD PROJEKT RED account. Both platforms need the same game content and the same mods, or the save may not load.

If your PC doesn't meet the new requirements, or you simply prefer the previous version, CD Projekt Red lets you revert to an earlier version on some platforms. Its support site has step-by-step instructions.

What are The Witcher 3 Remastered PC requirements?

Yes. The Witcher 3 Remastered asks more of your PC than the 2022 version. Windows 11 is now the baseline (CD Projekt Red no longer tests on Windows 10), an SSD is required, and you'll need around 60 GB of free space (95 GB on the Epic Games Store). These are the official tiers:

On consoles, PS5 Pro owners get 60 fps with ray tracing switched on thanks to PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution (PSSR), or a performance mode of up to 90 fps on VRR displays.

Is The Witcher 3 Remastered worth playing?

The free upgrade makes Remastered an extremely attractive reason to return to the Continent.

Improved graphics alone may not persuade everyone to begin another enormous playthrough, but reworked combat, better movement, a redesigned skill tree, transmog and cross-platform mods directly address several weaknesses of the original game.

Making Hearts of Stone and Blood and Wine free also gives base-game owners a considerable amount of additional content.

The timing is deliberate. Remastered gives players the most complete version of Geralt’s original adventure before Songs of the Past arrives in 2027 and The Witcher 4 continues the series with Ciri.

The Witcher 3 Remastered is out now, so there's nothing stopping you returning to the Path. If you already own the game, the upgrade costs nothing.

Ciri’s story in The Witcher 3 takes on new significance ahead of her return as the main protagonist of The Witcher 4.Image: CD Projekt Red

Useful Links

• Official Witcher 3 website
• Official announcement
• Remastered launch announcement
• Official Remastered FAQ (upgrades, saves, rollback)
• Steam announcement
• Official Songs of the Past teaser
• The Witcher 3 on Steam
• The Witcher 3 on SteamDB
• CD Projekt Red
• Official Witcher Discord

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