CD Projekt Red Announces The Witcher 3‘s Next-Gen Update Will Release This Year

Just in time for the game’s seventh anniversary, the developers of The Witcher 3 announced that its long-anticipated next-gen update will release later this year. CD Projekt Red confirmed via Twitter yesterday that the update will be releasing in Q4 2022 for PS5, XBOX Series S/X, and PC. The free update will feature improved performance and graphical quality, as well as additional DLC not included in the original release.

The next-gen update for the seven-year-old game was first announced in 2021, in the immediate aftermath of Cyberpunk 2077’s release in late 2020. After several shorter delays that stretched into 2022, the developer announced in mid-April that their in-house team would take the lead on the remaining work for the update, and that it would be delayed past Q2. Yesterday’s announcement is the first time the update’s release window has been nailed down so concretely, and also the first look into some of its added content.

In addition to beautifying the base game and increasing its performance, the free update will add DLC inspired by Netflix’s Witcher series, which is now in its second season. Heavily based on the original books by Andrzej Sapkowski, the show has found critical success both within and outside the series’ existing community of fans. Not much is known yet about the new DLC, but given the show’s wide audience, it seems to be an opportunity for CD Projekt to capitalize on potential new players familiar with the show, as well as offer longtime fans of the game another reason to return.