The Witcher 3 Returns With Songs of the Past Expansion 12 Years After Its Original Release
More than a decade after The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt became one of the most influential open world RPGs in gaming, CD Projekt RED is officially bringing players back to the Path with Geralt of Rivia. Following months of rumors that a new expansion was in development to bridge the gap between The Witcher 3 and The Witcher 4, the studio has now confirmed Songs of the Past, a brand new expansion coming in 2027.
The announcement was made through The Witcher official social media account, confirming that the expansion is being co developed with Fools Theory and will launch on PC, Xbox Series X|S, and PlayStation 5.
Medallion's humming... that can only mean one thing! It's time to announce The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt - Songs of the Past! ⚔️
— The Witcher (@thewitcher.com) May 27, 2026 at 5:01 PM
[image or embed]
"Medallion's humming... that can only mean one thing! It's time to announce The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt: Songs of the Past. This brand new expansion for The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt will take you to the Path with Geralt of Rivia once more. It’s being co developed with Fools Theory and is coming to PC, Xbox Series X|S, and PlayStation 5 in 2027. Stay tuned for more information in late summer." Quote by: The Witcher official social media account
The confirmation is a major surprise for fans, especially because The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt originally launched in 2015. By the time Songs of the Past arrives in 2027, the base game will be around 12 years old, making this one of the rare cases where a major RPG receives new expansion content more than a decade after release. For a title that already delivered Hearts of Stone and Blood and Wine, both widely respected as benchmark examples of premium RPG expansions, expectations will naturally be high.
While CD Projekt RED has not yet revealed full story details, early information suggests Songs of the Past will take players back into Geralt’s world before the franchise fully shifts focus toward Ciri in The Witcher 4. The expansion is reportedly set closer to Velen, a region strongly remembered for its dark atmosphere, grounded storytelling, political instability, and morally complicated quest design.
To support the upcoming expansion, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt will also receive a technical update that raises the game’s minimum PC system requirements. CD Projekt RED explained the changes through its official support page for upcoming minimum requirement updates, confirming that Windows 11, SSD storage, DirectX 12, and actively supported gaming hardware will become part of the new baseline.
-
CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 2600, Intel Core i5 8400
GPU: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660, AMD Radeon RX 5500 XT 8GB
VRAM: 6GB
RAM: 12GB
Storage: 70GB SSD
OS: 64 bit Windows 11
CD Projekt RED says the move away from Windows 10 is tied to Microsoft ending support for the operating system on October 14, 2025. Without ongoing security updates, official platform support, and continued GPU driver support, the studio will no longer test The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt or Cyberpunk 2077 on Windows 10.
The studio also confirmed that HDD storage will no longer be supported. According to CD Projekt RED, SSDs provide faster loading times, smoother asset streaming, and improved overall performance, which are increasingly important for modern versions of large scale open world games. The game will also run exclusively through DirectX 12, allowing CD Projekt RED to support ongoing technical improvements and modern hardware more effectively.
For players with relatively modern gaming PCs, these new requirements should not be a major obstacle. However, the change does mark an important transition point for The Witcher 3. What began as a 2015 RPG built for older PC configurations and previous console generations is now continuing its life as a current generation RPG platform with modernized technical expectations.
Players who do not want to update or who prefer to keep the older version of the game will still have an option. CD Projekt RED confirmed through its official guide to reverting to an earlier version of the game that users can return to a previous build if needed.
The announcement of Songs of the Past arrives at an important time for The Witcher franchise. CD Projekt RED is preparing the next mainline entry, The Witcher 4, while also keeping the legacy of Geralt alive for long time fans. Bringing back The Witcher 3 with new content gives the studio a powerful way to reconnect the audience with the franchise, refresh interest in the world, and build momentum before the next major chapter begins.
For many players, Geralt of Rivia remains one of gaming’s most iconic protagonists. The idea of returning to him for one more adventure before the larger franchise moves forward with Ciri is likely to resonate strongly with fans who still consider The Witcher 3 one of the greatest RPGs ever made. The key question now is whether Songs of the Past can match the writing quality, world design, and emotional impact that made the original game and its expansions so memorable.
With more information planned for late summer, The Witcher fans now have a major reason to return to the Continent. After 12 years, The Witcher 3 is not just being remembered as a classic. It is actively coming back with a new chapter.
Are you excited to return to Geralt in The Witcher 3: Songs of the Past, or are you more interested in seeing CD Projekt RED fully move forward with Ciri in The Witcher 4?
