The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt — Remastered is a compelling reason to return to the game.
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt — Remastered is coming to everyone who already owns the base game on any of the supported platforms on 29 September, and it is time to pick up your silver sword again as Geralt of Rivia and finally romance Triss (don’t come at me, Yennefer stans).
This Remastered version comes as a little surprise, given that The Witcher 4 is already in development, and The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt received a next-gen update just in 2022 (for a game that was released more than a decade ago in 2015).
This new version promises several things: free access to Hearts of Stone and Blood and Wine DLCs, improved combat, upgraded visuals, a changed skill system, and quite a few more that players probably will only discover several hours in.
The team at GosuGamers was given a chance to have a short preview of the Remastered version before it goes live globally tomorrow, and here are some of our first impressions of the Remastered game!
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt — Remastered
Release Date: 29 September 2026
Platforms: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, PC, Nintendo Switch, and Nintendo Switch 2
Developer: CD Projekt Red
The upgraded visuals
A short note: this short preview was done on a PC with a Nvidia RTX 5080 GPU and 4K monitor, with both path tracing and DLSS turned on. Your mileage may vary either because of a different console, or a different PC set-up.
For the most part, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt already looks very good with the next-gen update. The Remastered version brings a few small improvements, especially with regards to how light falls onto the environment.
There is also considerably more foliage in the new Remastered version, and monster textures now look more intricate than they used to be. These visual changes are not as drastic as the ones we last saw in 2022 with the next-gen update, but they are always a welcome addition.
The downside to the upgraded visuals, as we have noticed in the last few hours, is however the hit to game performance. The Remastered version, with ray tracing on in ultra mode and DLSS set to performance mode, averages around 60 frames per second instead of the 90 frames we were used to seeing before the update. Game stutters are now also a little more common.
This may be an issue with our GPU drivers or the preview version we had access to, and it could potentially require a few more updates (from either CD Projekt Red or Nvidia) to optimise the Remastered game better, but we can only make better conclusions once the Remastered version is released to the general public for a while.
Changes to the gameplay
When CD Projekt Red revealed that they are going to refine the ability system, we did not expect the changes to be this game changing.
When we first loaded up the game in the Remastered preview, our ability points in our saved files were completely reset, and we had the opportunity to re-specialise our ability points again without having to pay 1000 coins for a Potion of Clearance.
Except… the skill tree now looks slightly different. Instead of a table with rows, we now have a branching system. It also seems like a few Abilities such as Igni Intensity and Pyromaniac are no longer in the game, while new ones like Catalyst and Chain Reaction are added into the game.
This has consequences for playing the game, because it means that certain builds that were viable before the Remastered version will have to change, and well another reason for veteran players to try out something new!
The most pleasing change to the Remastered, in our opinion, is the new combat camera. The camera is a lot more dynamic now during fights with monsters; it zooms in automatically when you are only fighting one monster at a time, and it zooms out the moment a horde of monsters lunges at you, or if you are in a huge group.
It is an underrated change, but it makes fighting monsters a lot more fluid, and correspondingly the game play more enjoyable.
A new camera mode
With perhaps some inspiration from Baldur's Gate 3, the new Remastered mode now also comes with an updated photo camera mode, which allows you to add other characters like Yennefer and Ciri right next to your Geralt.
You can have these other characters in different poses, and you can move them to whatever part of the frame you desire. The updated mode also now allows you to change the weather of the backdrop, and has several photo filters you can apply to achieve your desired final image.
This was something we did not expect ourselves spending so much time in, but it makes for some new and nice wallpapers for all The Witcher fans out there.
Verdict
We unfortunately have not had more time to explore more of the Remastered version, and while there are definitely things we have not uncovered, this game fundamentally still feels the same and plays the same barring some performance issues we faced.
The Remastered version still features the same story that is one of the best in a role playing game in recent memory, and the small changes to the game has made it interesting enough for veteran players to come back to the game. If you need another reason to play The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, this Remastered version together with the free DLCs is it.
If you are a new player, and you want to try The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt for the first time, there is also no better time. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt periodically goes up for sale now (and as we speak, is on sale on Steam right now), and it still remains a very good game to spend some of your precious hours in… until The Witcher 4 is released.
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt — Remastered will launch on 29 September 2026 on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, and PC as a free upgrade to owners of the base game. We received a copy of the game for this review.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much is The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt — Remastered?
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt — Remastered is a free upgrade for every owner of the base game on all platforms the game is supported. Otherwise, the Complete Edition game is available for purchase at USD24.99 on Steam.
What platforms is The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt — Remastered available on?
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt — Remastered is available on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, PC, Nintendo Switch, and Nintendo Switch 2
Is The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt — Remastered a new gamee?
No. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt — Remastered is a remastered version of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. Besides the inclusion of the two DLCs Hearts of Stone and Blood and Wine (if you do not already owe them), there is no new game content added to the game.
Is The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt — Remastered open world?
Yes. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt — Remastered is an open world role playing game game, with large distinct regions.
Is The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt — Remastered single-player?
Yes. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt — Remastered is a single-player game.
