The Witcher 3 Remaster Release Date & Free Upgrade 2026

CD Projekt Red’s next big surprise at gamescom Opening Night Live is a remaster of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt—and it comes with a major date, a no-cost upgrade promise for existing owners, and a long list of technical and gameplay changes. The refreshed RPG is scheduled for release on September 29, 2026, landing on PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch 2.

The announcement also ties the upgrade to players who already own the original Wild Hunt, positioning the remaster as a free acquisition for that audience. CD Projekt Red’s update was framed around a player base of 65 million owners of the original game.

Release window and platforms

Witcher 3 Remaster is set to launch September 29, 2026 on PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch 2. It’s also being positioned as a free upgrade for anyone who owns Wild Hunt.

What’s new in the remaster

CD Projekt Red’s presentation focused on improvements across visuals, combat, systems, and accessibility—along with a substantial rendering and lighting refresh for modern hardware.

Combat, movement, and gameplay feel

Improved combat, with further specifics held back for later details.
Refined movement—including more natural climbing and jumping, as shown by Geralt clearing a fence and scaling a ladder.
Updated monster behavior, with AI improvements confirmed even though new attack animations weren’t clearly shown.
New finishing moves, with some examples teased in the trailer.
Reworked skill tree structure: builds will still combine different ability types (colors) for maximum benefits like health and attack strength, but access to advanced skills will require unlocking paths rather than simply spending a set number of points in a line.

Signs, magic effects, and equipping options

Refreshed Witcher Signs: the Aard effect is described as continuing to repel enemies, while a monster hit by it appears immobilized in the air during the trailer.
Enhanced Quen visuals, with the shield effect presented as more impressive than before.
Transmogrification to change Geralt’s armor appearance while keeping the stats of the equipped gear.

Exploration, UI, and quality-of-life

Immersive meditation, removing the need to watch menus and instead focusing on the environment.
Updated quest tracking, alongside an improved interface.
Better looting, refreshed animations, and updated tutorials.
New or expanded accessibility features and improved menu navigation “in real time.”
Enhanced photo mode, though specifics weren’t provided—only that it will include additional effects for better screenshots.

Visual overhaul: lighting, ray tracing, and upscaling

The remaster’s technical pitch runs deep: alongside upgraded textures, foliage shading, HDR improvements, and motion blur refreshes, CD Projekt Red highlighted a major rendering refresh. Features listed include improved ray tracing, enhanced global illumination, and support for contemporary graphics techniques.

HDR improvements
GTAO (Ground Truth Ambient Occlusion)
Enhanced ray tracing
Path tracing on PC, including ray reconstruction
Ray tracing for hair
DirectX 12 support and parallel rendering
New shading model
Subsurface scattering fixes/updates
New tone mapping
Improved global lighting and updated plant/vegetation shading

CD Projekt Red also listed modern upscaling and platform support options such as:

NVIDIA DLSS 4.5
AMD FSR 4
Intel XeSS 2.0
PS5 Pro support
Xbox Play Anywhere support
Exclusive features for Nintendo Switch 2

DLC included, no extra wait for owners

The remaster will also include the expansions Hearts of Stone and Blood and Wine. CD Projekt Red stated that these DLCs are available for free starting immediately for anyone who owns the base game.

More from Opening Night Live and gamescom

gamescom 2026 Opening Night Live is described as featuring 30 games total, including 7 “hot” world premieres. The main live broadcast in German is set to be watched on Twitch, while an English livestream with commentary is hosted by Michał Mańka on the FYNG channel.

For attendees heading to the show floor, CD Projekt Red invited visitors to its FYNG booth in Hall 7, highlighting a large stage and an event space totaling 1,600 square meters.