CD Projekt RED has officially confirmed Songs of the Past, the third major expansion for The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. Co-developed with Fool’s Theory, the expansion launches in 2027 on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC.
CD Projekt RED has officially announced The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt: Songs of the Past, a third major expansion for the RPG that has sold over 60 million copies since its 2015 launch. Revealed on May 27, 2026, the expansion will bring Geralt of Rivia back for a brand-new adventure in 2027 on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. It is being co-developed with Fool’s Theory, a studio made up of industry veterans who previously worked on The Witcher 3 itself.
How Did the Announcement Happen?
CD Projekt RED did not plan to reveal Songs of the Past today. The studio had been preparing a special REDstreams broadcast to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Blood and Wine, the game’s second expansion, which originally launched on May 31, 2016. The reveal was meant for that stream. Instead, screenshots of Songs of the Past leaked from CD Projekt’s own Red Launcher platform, forcing the studio’s hand.
The official Witcher X account broke the news shortly after: “Medallion’s humming… that can only mean one thing! It’s time to announce The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt: Songs of the Past!” The studio acknowledged the leak directly, writing: “We originally planned to make this big reveal during our REDstreams tomorrow, but let’s say we found something we didn’t yet expect on RED Launcher.” Earlier the same day, CD Projekt S.A. had also filed a trademark for “Songs of the Past” with the EUIPO (trademark number 019371013), covering game software, merchandise, and online services.
What Do We Know About Songs of the Past?
Official details remain sparse. Here is everything CD Projekt RED has confirmed so far:
- Songs of the Past is the third expansion for The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, following Hearts of Stone and Blood and Wine.
- Players will return to the role of Geralt of Rivia for a completely new adventure.
- The expansion is being co-developed with Fool’s Theory.
- It will launch in 2027 on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. No specific month or date has been given.
- More details will be shared in late summer 2026.
Pricing, story details, runtime, and new regions have not been disclosed. However, multiple sources and leaks over the past year have suggested that Songs of the Past could serve as a narrative bridge between The Witcher 3 and The Witcher 4. With The Witcher 4 set to feature Ciri as the protagonist, this expansion may represent Geralt’s final major story chapter before the franchise moves forward.
Who Is Fool’s Theory?
Fool’s Theory is a Polish development studio with deep roots in the Witcher franchise. Many of its developers previously worked at CD Projekt RED on The Witcher 3. The studio released The Thaumaturge, a story-driven RPG, in 2024, and it is currently developing a remake of the original 2007 Witcher game. Reports indicated that over 100 developers at Fool’s Theory were working on an unannounced project, separate from the remake. That project turned out to be Songs of the Past.
Updated PC System Requirements
Alongside the announcement, CD Projekt RED confirmed that The Witcher 3 will receive updated system requirements to accommodate the new content. The studio stated: “With new content coming to the game, we also need to update our system requirements to ensure smooth performance and compatibility.”
| Component | New Minimum Requirement |
|---|---|
| CPU | AMD Ryzen 5 2600 / Intel Core i5-8400 |
| GPU | NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 / AMD Radeon RX 5500 XT 8GB |
| VRAM | 6 GB |
| RAM | 12 GB |
| Storage | 70 GB SSD |
| OS | 64-bit Windows 11 |
These requirements represent significant increases from the original specifications. RAM has doubled, VRAM has tripled, and HDD installs are no longer supported. The Windows 11 requirement reflects Microsoft ending official support for Windows 10 rather than a strict technical limitation. Players running the game on older hardware may need to upgrade before the expansion arrives.
No Last-Gen Console Support
Songs of the Past will not be available on PlayStation 4 or Xbox One, the consoles on which The Witcher 3 originally launched in 2015. This is a notable departure, though not entirely surprising given that the game received a next-gen update for PS5 and Xbox Series in December 2022. There has been no mention of Nintendo Switch 2 support either, which is worth noting since The Witcher 3 was available on the original Switch.
Could This Connect to The Witcher 4?
Nothing has been officially confirmed, but the circumstantial evidence is strong. Rumours of a Witcher 3 bridge expansion have circulated since mid-2025, with Polish insiders and financial analysts pointing to a project designed to build excitement before The Witcher 4. Noble Securities analyst Mateusz Chrzanowski had predicted a major DLC priced at $30 releasing in May 2026 to lead into The Witcher 4’s marketing cycle. While the timing was slightly off, the core prediction proved accurate.
The Witcher 4 features Ciri as its playable protagonist and is in full-scale production at CD Projekt RED. The studio confirmed it will not launch in 2026, with the earliest realistic window being late 2027 or 2028. Songs of the Past arriving in 2027 would perfectly position it as a narrative on-ramp for the next game, potentially setting up story threads that The Witcher 4 will continue.
A Decade of Rumours Made Real
The path to this announcement was long and winding. In June 2025, reports surfaced that CD Projekt RED and Fool’s Theory were collaborating on a third Witcher 3 expansion potentially the size of Blood and Wine. CD Projekt’s CFO Piotr Nielubowicz later confirmed that over 100 employees were working on an unannounced project that would help fund other company initiatives. Financial analysts grew increasingly confident throughout late 2025 and early 2026, with Chrzanowski telling Eurogamer in January 2026 that he was “100 percent certain” significant new content would be revealed.
A leak on the Polish PlayStation Store briefly displayed a product listing for Songs of the Past earlier today, confirming the name and the 2027 release window before the official announcement. The listing was live for approximately 20 minutes before being removed.
What Players Are Asking
How big will Songs of the Past be?
CD Projekt RED explicitly calls it an “expansion,” not a small DLC pack. Earlier rumours suggested it could rival Blood and Wine in scope, which offered around 30 hours of content with its own new region, Toussaint. Official confirmation of the expansion’s size is expected later in the summer.
How much will it cost?
No official price has been announced. Analyst predictions pointed to approximately $30, but this remains unconfirmed. Pricing details will likely arrive alongside the broader reveal in late summer 2026, possibly around Gamescom in August.
Is it built on REDengine or Unreal Engine 5?
The raised system requirements suggest significant technical enhancements, but the expansion appears to be built on the existing REDengine framework that powers The Witcher 3. The Witcher 4 uses Unreal Engine 5 through a strategic partnership with Epic Games announced in 2022. Songs of the Past, however, is expanding the current game rather than rebuilding it on a new engine.
When will we learn more?
CD Projekt RED confirmed that more details will come in “late summer 2026.” This aligns with Gamescom 2026 Opening Night Live in August. The REDstreams broadcast scheduled for the day after the announcement may also contain additional information, and some commentators have speculated that a teaser for The Witcher 4 could appear at the same event.
Do I need the next-gen version of The Witcher 3?
Yes. With PS4 and Xbox One no longer supported for Songs of the Past, you will need the PS5, Xbox Series, or updated PC version of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt to access the new expansion.
Releasing a major expansion for a 12-year-old game is virtually unprecedented at this scale. But with over 60 million copies sold, roughly $650 million in lifetime revenue, and The Witcher 4 on the horizon, Songs of the Past positions itself as both a farewell to Geralt’s era and a launchpad for the franchise’s next chapter. Whether it delivers on that promise will become clearer once CD Projekt RED shares more this summer.
