The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Remastered is getting another major update, but CD Projekt Red is not treating the upcoming September 29 release as a simple graphics refresh. The studio wants its remastered version to feel like a game made for 2026, with changes that reach into gameplay, animation, controls, and quality-of-life features. That is a much bigger goal than the 2022 next-gen update, which already gave the decade-old RPG improved visuals, performance, lighting, and other technical upgrades. This time, CD Projekt Red is going back to parts of The Witcher 3 Remastered that have remained largely untouched since the game’s original release.
Speaking to PC Gamer, executive producer Jakub Kutrzuba explained that the remaster goes much further than the previous technical update.
“We wanted to make it [comparable] with any other game which is launching these days.”
Kutrzuba said the team is changing areas including animation, gameplay, and quality-of-life features. The focus is not only on making Geralt and the world look better, but also on changing how players interact with the game.
“I’m talking about the animation. I’m talking about the gameplay. I’m talking about the quality of life, how you actually play the game.”
That approach could make the September update feel considerably different for players who have spent hundreds of hours with the original game. CD Projekt Red is also using its own experience with the remaster as a test. Once developers become accustomed to the new systems and improvements, the older version starts to feel difficult to return to.
The remaster reportedly includes changes to combat, movement, Roach riding, monster behavior, the skill tree, camera options, and photo mode. CD Projekt Red is also adding features such as weapon and armor transmogrification, while the Xbox version will support cross-platform mods.
The technical side of the update is also demanding more from PC hardware. CD Projekt Red has confirmed that the new minimum requirements will require Windows 11, 12GB of RAM, an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 or AMD Radeon RX 5500 XT 8GB, and an SSD with at least 70GB of available storage. DirectX 12 will become mandatory, while HDD support is being removed.
For a game that originally launched in 2015, the jump in requirements shows how extensive the new technology and visual improvements have become. The 2022 next-gen update already increased the game’s hardware requirements, and the upcoming remaster pushes them higher again.
The Witcher 3 Remastered will launch on September 29, 2026, for PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch 2. The updated version will also be available through Battle.net, while existing owners of the Complete Edition will receive the remaster as a free update.
CD Projekt Red also announced Songs of the Past, a new paid expansion planned for 2027. The expansion will add a new region called Letten, along with new quests, characters, and enemies, and will continue Geralt’s story.
For players returning to The Witcher 3, the biggest question will be whether these changes actually make the RPG feel like a modern release rather than a heavily updated classic. CD Projekt Red appears to be targeting exactly that result, with the remaster changing the underlying experience instead of simply putting another visual layer over the original game.
