The Witcher 3's Next Expansion Could Change Everything Before Witcher 4

Fans of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt are even more excited than before the announcement of Songs of the Past, a brand-new update set to release in 2027. When the news broke, many fans were surprised, and now there are additional hypotheses, speculations, and developer remarks about what CD Projekt Red is preparing for one of gaming’s most popular RPGs.

For months, rumors suggested CD Projekt Red was making more content for The Witcher 3. Many fans didn’t believe the allegations at first because the game was old and the studio was still working on The Witcher 4. But now that the expansion has been formally announced, it turns out the whispers regarding Songs of the Past were genuine.

The anticipated 2027 release of the expansion has also sparked fresh rumors about the franchise’s future.

Many fans had expected The Witcher 4 to be released sooner, but a huge add-on for The Witcher 3 could push the next mainline game back much more. Some in the business world believe that The Witcher 4 might not be released until 2028.

Players have also been discussing what Songs of the Past will include and the game's release. CD Projekt Red hasn't revealed much about the tale so far, but reports suggest Ciri may play a major role in the expansion. This makes sense given what The Witcher 4 is intended to be about, and the update might help tie the plots of the two games together.

At the same time, fans have grown highly interested in another subject: pricing. Some have questioned if the expansion may be sent out as a free update. Given what we know now and what the industry anticipates, it appears quite unlikely. Since the announcement, CD Projekt Red has repeatedly stated that Songs of the Past is an expansion, not DLC.

That may not seem like much of a difference on the surface, but the studio obviously wants gamers to know about it. Community leaders and developers have always referred to the initiative as an expansion, not downloadable material. Songs of the Past has a lot of words in it, and they think that means it will be much more than just a content add-on.

Many people are already comparing it to Blood and Wine, which is considered one of the best RPG expansions ever. Reports from the business world and analyst numbers suggest the expansion might cost $30 to launch. While CD Projekt Red hasn’t officially announced the game’s price, the figure has been mentioned numerous times in discussions about the project.

At that price, analysts predict the book will sell approximately 11 million copies, a remarkable increase.

These goals are incredibly high, but they demonstrate how famous The Witcher 3 is and how eager fans are about any new content in the franchise. Many players believe CD Projekt Red deserves another opportunity because of how often the firm has issued add-ons in the past. Blood and Wine remains the gold standard for post-launch game content, while Cyberpunk 2077’s Phantom Liberty has proven the author can continue to make major improvements to games years after release.

Many fans simply anticipate that if CD Projekt Red wants gamers to spend extra money on an 11-year-old game, the stuff better be worth it. This company seems to have a good grasp of what customers want. One of the most remarkable things about Songs of the Past is its date. The Witcher 3 will have been out since 2015 when the update comes out, meaning it’s more than a decade old.

But even with that age, the game still attracts new players and is often used as an example for future RPGs. The update is a rare opportunity for CD Projekt Red to re-energize The Witcher 3 for an entirely new audience. Many of the people who play the game now as adults played the initial game when they were youngsters. For these people, Songs of the Past could be the perfect excuse to finally take on Geralt’s fabled journey.

Many veteran players are already hearing the news and considering another complete run. Many fans have stated on social media and in gaming groups that they will play through The Witcher 3 again before the expansion is released. This additional attention could also push the launch date CD Projekt Red hopes for The Witcher 4. The business might not need to hurry its next core game to launch.

They may instead pay tribute to Songs of the Past before moving on to the brand's future.

May has often been a big month for CD Projekt Red's big Witcher titles. This includes the initial release of The Witcher 3, including both Hearts of Stone and Blood and Wine. This has led some enthusiasts to speculate that Songs of the Past would be released in May 2027. If that notion is true, The Witcher 4 might potentially be released in 2028. The addition has also sparked new conversations about how games are developed today.

As AAA production cycles grow longer—seven, eight, or even 10 years per game—many fans have expressed a desire for major mid-cycle patches to keep titles running between major releases. A huge update with dozens of hours of fresh content could help stave off players while devs concentrate on bigger projects. Instead of letting fans wait almost a decade between entries, firms could flesh out worlds and tales via expansions.

One of the most well-known examples of this approach is Songs of the Past. Another thing is that Fool’s Theory is doing it. They are the studio behind the upcoming Witcher remake being developed alongside CD Projekt Red. Fool’s Theory is the studio behind the role-playing game The Thaumaturge, which has gained popularity among RPG players over time.

Songs of the Past is a major opportunity for the company to demonstrate its capabilities with one of the most prominent game brands. If this works well, it could help instill hope ahead of the Witcher remake's release. CD Projekt Red recently announced major modifications to The Witcher 3’s PC requirements, as well as information on expansions.

The next update will be the last official support for Windows 10 for both The Witcher 3 and Cyberpunk 2077. Windows 11 will be the absolute minimum that can be utilized instead.

And the new regulations will also gradually phase out traditional hard disk drives in favor of solid-state drives (SSDs). That aligns with broader trends in the PC gaming sector. CD Projekt Red said SSDs allow faster load times, improved asset streaming, and better overall performance.

The developers have announced that, moving forward, all subsequent iterations of the game will be DirectX 12 only.

This will enable developers to carry on with technical and aesthetic enhancements. Some gamers remaining on Windows 10 machines are anxious about these changes. CD Projekt Red did clarify, however, that the game might still run on disallowed setups. The key difference is that the studio won’t be testing or guaranteeing the game will run on those devices.

One of the reasons for the move, developers indicated, was that Microsoft will shortly stop supporting Windows 10. Due to the lack of frequent security upgrades and long-term platform support, it was getting harder to continue undertaking official compatibility testing. It’s also worth mentioning that players who prefer the older versions of the game will still have the option to return to older builds, even the latest 4.04 version.

As additional news drops, CD Projekt Red has been quite clear: Songs of the Past is meant to be something important. The studio has also used the same language, saying that fans should see the initiative as an expansion rather than traditional DLC. It’s rumored to cost $30, and there could be a large tale, directly linking to The Witcher 4, so expectations are rising higher. Fool’s Theory is involved.

The update has been confirmed for PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S for now, with no version for Nintendo platforms just yet, though some fans are still holding out hope that a Switch 2 version will be published soon.

In the meantime, players can only wait for more information. But one thing is becoming more certain: Songs of the Past is not simply a little add-on from CD Projekt Red. Based on what the business has announced thus far, this expansion might be one of the biggest returns to a classic RPG in years.