Eleven years after The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt launched to near-universal acclaim — selling more than 65 million copies along the way — CD Projekt Red arrived at Gamescom Opening Night Live with something fans had been waiting a long time to see. Songs of the Past, the third expansion to one of gaming’s most celebrated RPGs, received its first proper reveal on 25 August 2026, offering glimpses of a new region, a new weapon, and the promise of another memorable chapter for Geralt of Rivia before the series passes its torch.
Welcome to Letten — A New Region With a Dark Secret
The expansion transports Geralt to Letten, a brand new region with a distinct identity unlike any existing area in The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. According to CD Projekt Red level design lead Miles Tost, who appeared on stage at Gamescom ONL, Letten is an idyllic land steeped in rural tradition and local folklore — a place of bountiful harvests, lavish festivals, and a seemingly peaceful way of life.
The story begins when Dandelion, Geralt’s old friend and travelling bard, invites the Witcher to Letten — his homeland. A favour between friends quickly spirals into something more sinister. Something ancient and malevolent lurks beneath Letten’s cheerful surface, and Geralt must confront never-before-seen monsters and make difficult decisions with meaningful consequences.
“Letten is a whole new, unique region that has a unique identity, like the other regions in the game.” — Miles Tost, level design lead, CD Projekt Red
The teaser trailer, shown at ONL, offered tantalising glimpses: moonlit skies, sun-kissed fields, a mysterious woman near a decorated tree, and shadowy figures that suggest the threat runs deep. New monsters are confirmed, including what appears to be a heavily mutated warrior. Alongside familiar foes, old friends are also set to appear.
The Chain Weapon: A Returning Favourite From the Original Witcher
The moment that generated the loudest reaction was the chain — a new weapon that allows Geralt to grapple enemies and drag them close before finishing them off. It’s a visceral, crowd-control-focused addition to the combat system, and one loaded with franchise history. The chain first appeared in the opening cinematic of the original Witcher game back in 2007, making its inclusion in Songs of the Past a deliberate and welcome callback for long-time fans.
The chain weapon gives Geralt meaningful new options in battle, particularly when it comes to closing distance on faster enemies or pulling larger creatures into striking range. Alongside it, Songs of the Past introduces new mutagens, letting players further customise Geralt’s build in ways the base game’s existing system hadn’t offered. Notably, the chain bears a resemblance to the weapon wielded by Ciri in The Witcher 4, suggesting CD Projekt Red is thoughtfully connecting the two titles through their combat design.
The Studio Behind Songs of the Past
Songs of the Past is a joint project between CD Projekt Red and Fool’s Theory, a Polish studio whose senior leadership comprises veterans of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt development. The team working on the expansion numbers around 190 developers, making this a substantial production rather than a supplementary side project.
CD Projekt Red has described Songs of the Past as comparable in scope to Blood and Wine, the second expansion that added the Toussaint region and is widely regarded as one of the best pieces of RPG DLC ever produced. The expansion is also heading to Blizzard’s Battle.net launcher for the first time, with players who purchase it via that platform set to receive a Geralt-inspired cosmetic skin in Diablo 4. Further details are expected at BlizzCon in September.
Key point: Songs of the Past is available to wishlist now on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, PC, and Nintendo Switch 2, ahead of its 2027 release.
Release Window, Platforms, and What Comes Next
Songs of the Past is confirmed for PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch 2, with a broad 2027 release window. No specific date has been set. The expansion will not come to PS4, Xbox One, or the original Nintendo Switch.
It arrives alongside — and benefits from — The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt — Remastered, which launches as a free upgrade for all existing owners on 29 September 2026. CD Projekt Red is hosting daily REDstreams throughout Gamescom until 30 August, each covering different aspects of Songs of the Past and the Remastered upgrade. Hands-on presentations are also available at the CDPR booth in Hall 8.1 for those attending in Cologne.
Songs of the Past will be Geralt’s final standalone adventure before the series transitions to Ciri as its protagonist. For a game that first launched in 2015 and refuses to stop finding new audiences, it’s a fitting closing chapter — one that, even in this early teaser form, already feels like something worth waiting for.
