{"id":4790,"date":"2026-05-31T13:36:40","date_gmt":"2026-05-31T10:36:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.gamermarkt.com\/blog\/?p=4790"},"modified":"2026-05-31T13:37:47","modified_gmt":"2026-05-31T10:37:47","slug":"witcher-3-songs-of-the-past-massive-expansion-witcher-4-connection","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.gamermarkt.com\/blog\/witcher-3-songs-of-the-past-massive-expansion-witcher-4-connection\/","title":{"rendered":"The Witcher 3: Songs of the Past Will Be Massive and Ties Into The Witcher 4"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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CD Projekt RED has confirmed that The Witcher 3: Songs of the Past will be a massive expansion close to Blood and Wine in scope, launching in 2027 with 190 developers working on it, and will serve as a bridge to The Witcher 4.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

CD Projekt RED has officially announced The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt: Songs of the Past<\/strong>, a third expansion for the 2015 RPG that has now sold over 65 million copies<\/strong> worldwide. Coming in 2027 to PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC, the expansion is being developed by roughly 190 developers<\/strong> and described as close to Blood and Wine in scope. During the studio’s Q1 2026 earnings call, joint CEO Micha\u0142 Nowakowski confirmed the project will act “in a way” as a prologue to The Witcher 4, marking Geralt’s final major story outing before Ciri takes the lead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why Was Songs of the Past Delayed to 2027?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

CD Projekt RED originally planned to ship Songs of the Past in 2026. Joint CEO Micha\u0142 Nowakowski<\/strong> confirmed this openly during the company’s Q1 2026 earnings call, stating the team “had a moment where our plans for Songs of the Past would be released this year.” However, after consultation with the development team, the studio decided to push the launch to 2027 “to achieve the best possible result from the consumer standpoint.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

CFO Piotr Nielubowicz<\/strong> added context by noting that for several quarters the company had disclosed unannounced projects at advanced production stages. Songs of the Past was one of those projects. The delay signals that CD Projekt RED is prioritising polish over speed, a lesson clearly learned from the troubled launch of Cyberpunk 2077.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How Big Will Songs of the Past Actually Be?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

When asked directly whether the expansion is closer to Hearts of Stone or Blood and Wine in scope, Nowakowski was clear: “Actually a little bit closer to Blood and Wine, but this is super-subjective. It really depends on how you’re going to play, what’s your playthrough. But we’re definitely making a proper big expansion.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Blood and Wine offered between 15 and 40 hours<\/strong> of content depending on playstyle and introduced an entirely new region, Toussaint, with its own storyline. Senior community manager Laura Beitzel<\/strong> confirmed during a livestream that Songs of the Past will be “aligned with what you’re familiar with” from Blood and Wine, suggesting a likely 20 to 30 hour<\/strong> experience. That makes it significantly more substantial than Hearts of Stone, which clocked in at roughly 10 hours.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It’s an Expansion, Not a DLC<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Nowakowski was emphatic about terminology: “First of all, I cannot stop myself. It’s not a DLC, it’s an expansion. DLCs are the smaller ones which we typically give for free. Expansions are the bigger and juicy ones.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Social media manager Marcin \u0141ukaszewski<\/strong> elaborated on this distinction, explaining that free content drops like outfit packs qualify as DLC in CD Projekt RED’s internal language, while expansions are “major pieces of content providing lots of hours of gameplay, including new story, characters, etc.” The same distinction was used for Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty, famously reinforced by Idris Elba himself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Does Songs of the Past Connect to The Witcher 4?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

This is where things get particularly interesting. Nowakowski described Songs of the Past as “in a way a prologue, although it’s not a prologue in a verbatim way.” He went on to say: “First and foremost, we really wanted to deliver a great experience to the fans. But of course, indirectly, yes, it is a reminder about the franchise.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He also acknowledged that the expansion serves as “a way to maintain certain chatter on The Witcher 3,” but stressed these are “additional side effects.” The core goal remains delivering a high-quality standalone adventure for existing fans. With The Witcher 4 starring Ciri<\/strong> as the new protagonist, Songs of the Past appears to be Geralt’s farewell. Nowakowski put it this way: “The return of Geralt after more than one decade will be an excellent adventure, and a trip down memory lane, before we pass the baton to Ciri.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fans have also spotted that the official artwork shows Geralt holding a third sword<\/strong> with a scabbard that closely matches the one Ciri carries in The Witcher 4’s reveal trailer, fuelling speculation about a direct narrative handoff.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Who Is Fool’s Theory and Why Do They Matter?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Fool’s Theory<\/strong> is co-developing Songs of the Past alongside CD Projekt RED. The Polish studio is made up of industry veterans who worked on the original Witcher 3, and they are also responsible for The Thaumaturge (2024), contributed to Baldur’s Gate 3, and are developing The Witcher 1 Remake.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Of the approximately 190 developers on the project, the bulk come from Fool’s Theory, while CD Projekt RED provides creative oversight and REDengine support. This arrangement ensures that the main CDPR team can continue full-scale production on The Witcher 4 without diverting resources.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Updated System Requirements for PC<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Alongside the expansion announcement, CD Projekt RED revealed significantly raised minimum system requirements for The Witcher 3 on PC:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n
  • CPU:<\/strong> AMD Ryzen 5 2600 \/ Intel Core i5-8400<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • GPU:<\/strong> NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 \/ AMD Radeon RX 5500 XT 8GB<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • VRAM:<\/strong> 6 GB<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • RAM:<\/strong> 12 GB<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Storage:<\/strong> 70 GB SSD<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • OS:<\/strong> 64-bit Windows 11<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

    The most significant changes: HDD support has been dropped entirely<\/strong>, SSD is now mandatory. Windows 11<\/strong> is the new minimum, with CDPR citing Microsoft’s end-of-support for Windows 10 in October 2025 as the rationale. The game will also run exclusively on DirectX 12<\/strong>. RAM has doubled from 6 GB to 12 GB, VRAM has tripled from 2 GB to 6 GB, and storage has jumped from 50 GB to 70 GB, indicating roughly 20 GB of new content.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Players who only want to run the base game and existing expansions can still revert to an earlier version via Steam or Epic launchers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Current-Gen Only: No PS4 or Xbox One<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    Songs of the Past will launch exclusively on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC<\/strong>. There are no plans for PS4, Xbox One, or Nintendo Switch versions. No Switch 2 version has been announced either, though Cyberpunk 2077’s presence on the handheld suggests it could eventually come to that platform. This current-gen exclusivity frees the developers from legacy hardware limitations and signals a more technically ambitious product.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Gamescom 2026: First Proper Reveal<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    CD Projekt RED confirmed that Songs of the Past will be shown at Gamescom 2026<\/strong>, which runs from 26 to 30 August in Cologne. The studio’s official Witcher account posted: “Wind’s howling… And it’s taking us to gamescom in Cologne! Come join us in the entertainment area, where we will be showing Songs of the Past.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    However, fans should not expect a playable demo on the show floor. The studio indicated it will follow the same format used for previous Witcher 3 and Cyberpunk 2077 showcases, meaning a guided gameplay presentation<\/strong> is far more likely. Geoff Keighley’s involvement suggests the reveal could also feature during Opening Night Live on 25 August<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    How the Announcement Leaked Early<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    CD Projekt RED originally planned to reveal Songs of the Past during a Blood and Wine 10th anniversary livestream on 28 May 2026. Instead, the expansion’s details appeared prematurely on the studio’s own REDLauncher<\/strong> platform. Earlier the same day, CD Projekt had filed a trademark for “Songs of the Past” with the EUIPO (trademark number 019371013), covering game software, merchandise, and online services. Once the leak spread, the studio pushed the announcement forward to 27 May via social media. The reveal post reached 16 million views<\/strong> within 24 hours, making it the second most-engaged post in the series’ history after The Witcher 4 announcement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    CDPR’s Roadmap: What Comes After?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    According to CD Projekt RED’s current pipeline, the release order is:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      \n
    1. Songs of the Past<\/strong> (2027)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    2. The Witcher 4<\/strong> (no confirmed date, likely 2028 or later)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    3. The Witcher 1 Remake<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

      Nowakowski acknowledged the company’s “ambitious” plan to release three Witcher games within a six-year window but admitted that adding expansions to the upcoming trilogy “would be difficult, to be very honest.” The Witcher 4 is part of Project Polaris, the start of an entirely new mainline trilogy built on Unreal Engine 5, while Songs of the Past remains on the original REDengine<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      With The Witcher 3 sitting at over 65 million copies sold, even a fraction of that install base purchasing the expansion would make Songs of the Past a major commercial success for CD Projekt RED.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      What Players Are Asking<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

      Do we play as Geralt?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

      Yes. CD Projekt RED has confirmed that Geralt of Rivia<\/strong> is the protagonist. Since The Witcher 4 will feature Ciri, this is likely Geralt’s last major playable storyline.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Where does it take place?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

      No official confirmation yet. Pre-announcement leaks from IGN Poland and other Polish insiders suggested the expansion could be set in Zerrikania<\/strong>, a desert region east of the Northern Kingdoms never before explored in the games. An alternative rumour points to Sedaris<\/strong>, a region west of Temeria connected to Dandelion’s origins. The title “Songs of the Past” and the Belleteyn references in the key art suggest a story deeply rooted in memory and lore.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      How much will it cost?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

      No pricing has been announced for any region. Nowakowski stated the price will be revealed “when the right time comes.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Will it be included in the Complete Edition?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

      This remains unclear. CD Projekt RED has not confirmed whether Songs of the Past will be sold separately, bundled into existing editions, or result in a new comprehensive package.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Can I play on PS4 or Xbox One?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

      No. The expansion is exclusive to PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. Last-gen consoles and Nintendo Switch are not supported.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      When will we see gameplay?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

      The first major reveal is expected at Gamescom 2026<\/strong> in late August, likely through a guided presentation rather than a hands-on demo. CD Projekt RED has said more information will come in “late summer 2026.”<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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