'The Witcher 3' video game remaster coming ahead of new expansion

CD Projekt RED will publish a remastered version of its 2015 blockbuster "The Witcher 3" on September 29, ahead of a 2027 launch of a new expansion for the video game, it said late on Tuesday.

Poland's biggest video game developer showcased a trailer for "The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt - Remastered" and a teaser trailer for its upcoming third expansion, titled "Songs of the Past", at the Opening Night Live of the world's biggest video game trade fair Gamescom.

It did not specify ⁠a release date for the expansion, but confirmed the 2027 launch.

"The Witcher 3", a winner of more than 250 Game of the Year awards, is among the world's all-time best-sellers, with more than 65 million copies sold since its launch.

"We expect the remaster launch to have a meaningful positive impact on the company’s fourth quarter results, while also helping to further expand The Witcher 3 installed base ahead of the release of Songs of the Past, potentially to 70-75 million copies by then," Erste Group analyst Krzysztof Tkocz said in a ⁠note to investors.

The remastered version will be available as a free upgrade to all owners of the original game on GOG, Steam, Epic Games Store, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S. The game will also get a native version for Nintendo Switch 2.

All current owners of the base game ⁠will also gain free access to the two existing expansions to "The Witcher 3", and both of them will be included in the remastered version.

"This maps a great opportunity for people ... to jump in ⁠with the improvements on the remaster update and get a whole lot of stuff for free before we ship the Songs of the Past," CD Projekt RED level design ⁠lead Miles Tost said after the trailer showcase.

Offering the remaster free of charge should further strengthen players' trust in the company, Tkocz wrote, noting that many developers release them as separate paid products.