# What's announced CD Projekt Red announced a free remaster of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt that will land on September 29, 2026. The studio also confirmed that the game's two original expansions — Hearts of Stone and Blood and Wine — will be made available for free to all owners as part of this upgrade.
# What changes players will see The remaster targets visual and mechanical gaps between the original release and modern expectations. Visual work centers on upgraded lighting and ray tracing improvements that aim to make the game look closer to current standards. Combat and movement receive direct tweaks, including new finisher animations and improved mount handling. Witcher signs get brighter, more noticeable effects, and monster behaviours are listed as "enhanced."
# Why this matters now
# Modder collaboration
# Practical implications for players
- If you already own The Witcher 3, expect the remaster to appear as a free update on September 29. The update bundles the base-game improvements plus Hearts of Stone and Blood and Wine at no additional cost.
- Expect visual upgrades focused on lighting and ray tracing rather than a complete graphical overhaul. Performance and asset improvements will be complemented by gameplay and UI refinements.
- New systems such as transmogrification and an overhauled skill tree give returning players quality-of-life ways to customize builds and appearances without sacrificing stats.
# What's still unclear The announcement lists many changes but leaves some details vague. Descriptions like "enhanced" monster behaviour and the full scope of combat changes are not broken down into specific examples. Exact platform rollout details beyond the September 29 date were not listed in the announcement text provided here.
# Bottom line CD Projekt Red is shipping a significant free remaster update to The Witcher 3 on September 29, 2026, and is including the two major expansions for free. The package offers visual updates, gameplay tweaks, improved systems, and community-sourced contributions, making it a wide-reaching upgrade for owners who want to revisit Geralt's world before the studio's next Witcher-era projects resume.