The Witcher 3 Returns with Songs of the Past and a Major New Chapter for Geralt

The Witcher 3 is somehow making another major comeback, and Songs of the Past is shaping up to be much more than a small piece of nostalgia content that brings Geralt back for a few hours. CD Projekt Red has confirmed the project as the third major expansion for The Witcher 3, with the first major reveal planned for Gamescom Opening Night Live on August 25. 

From August 26 through August 30, CD Projekt Red is planning five days of Red Stream coverage from Gamescom, along with guided presentations on the show floor. That already makes Songs of the Past feel very different from a small anniversary project that quietly appears and disappears. 

The expansion is also being developed with Fool's Theory, a studio that includes developers who formerly worked on The Witcher series. 

That connection is important because the project isn't just bringing Geralt back for a cameo and calling it a day. Instead, CD Projekt Red and Fool’s Theory are making a brand-new chapter for Geralt, using the current-gen version of The Witcher 3 as a base.

That decision also explains why the expansion will not be coming to the older PS4, Xbox One, or Switch versions of the game. CD Projekt Red wants to build around current hardware rather than constantly working around systems that originally launched in 2013. 

The greatest challenge for Songs of the Past is not simply making the world larger. The original The Witcher 3 became so memorable because of how much detail existed inside its world, with small locations and seemingly minor encounters often turning into stories that players remembered for years. 

That same sense of discovery will be important for the new expansion. Some of the most memorable moments in The Witcher 3 came from wandering away from the main objective and stumbling across something unexpected, whether it was a monster, a hidden character, a strange location, or a side quest that ended up being more engaging than the main mission. 

The Gamescom presentation could provide the first real indication of how successfully the developers have managed that. The demo has reportedly already been shown privately to people connected with CD Projekt Red, and one of the impressions surrounding it is that the team designed the presentation to show a substantial portion of the expansion without spoiling its biggest story moments.

That is potentially a good sign because the developers apparently have enough gameplay, exploration, and content to make the demo interesting without relying on a major character twist or story reveal. A strong Witcher demonstration should be able to show the world, quests, combat, characters, and atmosphere without giving away everything that makes the expansion worth playing. 

The return of Geralt is obviously a major part of the appeal. 

People who have already seen the presentation have reportedly reacted positively simply because it is good to see the character back again. Paweł Sasko, who formerly worked on quests for The Witcher 3 and is now directing the next Cyberpunk game, reportedly had a similar reaction to seeing the project.

That enthusiasm makes sense because Geralt's story already had a very complete ending. Blood and Wine provided what many players considered an excellent conclusion to his journey, leaving CD Projekt Red with the difficult task of finding a reason to bring him back without undermining that ending. 

Geralt needs a reason to become involved in something significant. If Songs of the Past is going to sit alongside Hearts of Stone and Blood and Wine as another major expansion, its story needs to justify bringing him back after everything that happened at the end of his last adventure. 

The timing is especially interesting because The Witcher 4 is already confirmed as the beginning of a new saga, with Ciri serving as the protagonist. Songs of the Past is being positioned as another chapter in Geralt's story, but its arrival could provide CD Projekt Red an opportunity to connect the end of Geralt's era with what comes next.

That does not necessarily mean the expansion will literally function as a direct prologue to The Witcher 4. However, its placement gives the studio a chance to introduce new lore, political developments, characters, factions, or other ideas that could help establish the state of the world before the new saga begins. 

The setting of the expansion is another area that has generated speculation. Earlier reports and rumors have repeatedly mentioned a location called Zerania, which would represent a major departure from many of the places players have already explored with Geralt. 

There are also clues hidden in CD Projekt Red's promotional material that have encouraged fans to keep looking for answers. 

The studio has reportedly told players that hints connected to Songs of the Past were hidden around its Bellatine-related material. That suggests the initial announcement may have only revealed part of what the project is actually going to offer.

The world itself could be one of the biggest parts of the expansion. The goal should not simply be to create another location that exists to move the main story forward. You should be able to leave Geralt's immediate objective behind, explore settlements, speak with characters, discover smaller stories, accept contracts, hunt monsters, collect equipment, and generally get distracted by something interesting you notice in the distance.

That kind of freedom is a major part of what made The Witcher 3 work so well in the first place. You could begin the game with one objective in mind and end up spending several hours exploring something completely unrelated. A new expansion with that same approach could feel surprisingly substantial even if its main storyline is relatively focused.

Fool's Theory's involvement also makes the project more interesting because this is not simply an unrelated external studio being handed Witcher 3 assets and asked to produce downloadable content. The team has developers with experience working on the franchise, and CD Projekt Red has specifically highlighted that connection when discussing the project.

Fool's Theory is also working on a remake of the original The Witcher, giving the studio another major connection to the franchise. That makes it a logical partner for a new Witcher 3 expansion, particularly one that needs to understand the tone, world, characters, and storytelling style that made the original game so successful.

Also, the timing of the expansion’s release is an important development detail. Reports related to CD Projekt Red’s financial discussions have suggested Songs of the Past was originally slated for an earlier release but was delayed to 2027 to meet quality standards. 

If that information is accurate, the delay could ultimately be a positive thing for the expansion. 

Bringing back The Witcher 3 is already a major undertaking, and rushing a new expansion simply because the game is reaching another anniversary would create unnecessary pressure. If CD Projekt Red wants Songs of the Past to stand alongside Hearts of Stone and Blood and Wine, giving the team enough time to finish it properly makes sense.

Gamescom should provide the first major look at whether the expansion can actually live up to those expectations. The August 25 reveal will reportedly be followed by five days of Red Stream coverage, including gameplay walkthroughs, developer commentary, interviews with CD Projekt Red and Fool's Theory, and guided presentations for people attending the event.

That means players should get much more than a short trailer before the project disappears again. The additional coverage could reveal how the new area works, what Geralt is doing there, what kinds of quests are included, how the gameplay has evolved, and just how large the expansion really is. 

The Witcher 3 is already known as one of the most influential RPGs of its generation, and Songs of the Past can add another chapter without supplanting what came before. If CD Projekt Red can nail the exploration, storytelling, and surprise discoveries that made the original game special, Geralt’s return could feel a lot more meaningful than just another anniversary celebration.

For now the biggest details remain under wraps, but Gamescom is about to change all that. With a big reveal on August 25, several days of follow-up coverage, a team packed with Witcher veterans, and an expansion reportedly getting more time to get it right, Songs of the Past is starting to feel like a serious new chapter rather than a quick stroll down memory lane.