CD Projekt Red is making a third expansion for The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, and it is called Songs of the Past. The expansion brings back Geralt of Rivia for a new adventure and is co-developed with Fool's Theory, a studio staffed by veterans who worked on the original game. It arrives more than a decade after the last expansion, Blood and Wine.
Songs of the Past release window and platforms (2027)
The expansion is confirmed for a 2027 launch. CD Projekt Red has not narrowed that to a specific month or day. Earlier leaks pointed to a 2026 release, and the studio later confirmed it had once planned a 2026 launch before pushing the timing back. Co-CEO Michał Nowakowski said the delay was made "to achieve the best possible result."
| Detail | Confirmed |
|---|---|
| Title | The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt – Songs of the Past |
| Release window | 2027 (no exact date) |
| Platforms | PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PC |
| Developers | CD Projekt Red and Fool's Theory |
| Protagonist | Geralt of Rivia |
| Next details | Late summer 2026 |
The announcement landed on May 27, 2026. CD Projekt Red had planned to reveal it during a Blood and Wine anniversary stream on May 28, but the news appeared early through the studio's RED launcher and forced the company to confirm it a day ahead of schedule. You can read the full announcement on CD Projekt's news page.
Who is developing Songs of the Past
CD Projekt Red is co-developing the expansion with Fool's Theory. That studio is also handling the remake of the first The Witcher game and has supported work on The Witcher 4. The arrangement means Songs of the Past is being built alongside, not at the expense of, the next mainline entry.
The team has positioned this as a proper paid expansion rather than a small free DLC. CD Projekt has compared its scale to Blood and Wine, which ran roughly 15 to 40 hours depending on how much you completed and added an entire new region to the game. On that basis, expect a full new storyline rather than a minor content drop, with talk of fresh Gwent decks alongside the campaign.
Story setting and the Belleteyn clues
Geralt is the lead again, which is a deliberate contrast to The Witcher 4, where Ciri takes over as the protagonist. The community widely expects Songs of the Past to act as a bridge between the two games, setting up threads that carry into Ciri's story. CD Projekt Red has not confirmed that framing.
The studio has been seeding hints through promotional artwork tied to Belleteyn, a spring fertility festival drawn from Slavic tradition that runs deep in Witcher lore. The festival is closely linked to Ciri's birth and to other key characters in the books. One image shows Geralt with the bard Dandelion at the bonfire celebration.
Community managers have confirmed that an unusual third sword visible in that art plays a central role in the story. The blade has a distinctive, multilayered curved crossguard that sets it apart from Geralt's usual steel and silver swords. The studio says its origin will be explained in future promotional streams.
Fan speculation points to a setting around Cintra, possibly extending to nearby regions such as Cidaris, based on the dark, Slavic tone of the expansion's music and the festival theme. Cintra is a major location in the source novels and the place where Geralt's destiny first bound him to Ciri. None of these specific locations have been officially confirmed.
When to expect a trailer and more details
CD Projekt Red has said new information is coming in late summer 2026. That window typically lines up with late August or early September. Gamescom is a natural venue for a reveal, though the studio has not confirmed any appearance there. For players who want content sooner, smaller unannounced base-game updates are expected to arrive before the end of 2026.
The Witcher 3 PC requirements updated for Songs of the Past
Alongside the announcement, CD Projekt Red updated the minimum PC requirements for The Witcher 3. The biggest changes are that Windows 11 is now required and traditional hard drives are no longer supported. CPUs and GPUs not supported by Windows 11 will also fall outside the new baseline.
| Component | New minimum |
|---|---|
| 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 |
If your system does not meet these requirements, you can revert to the previous version of the game and keep playing as normal. CD Projekt Red explains the requirement changes and the rollback process through its official support page.
What is locked in is straightforward: a full-sized expansion in 2027, Geralt back in the lead, a co-development between CD Projekt Red and Fool's Theory, and a wave of new details in late summer 2026. Everything about a precise date, the exact region, and the meaning of that third sword remains open until the studio shares more.