If you have ever bought The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, physical or digital, the Remastered version is free on the same platform ecosystem. It arrived on September 29, 2026 as an update to the game you already have, and it is out now on every platform. Even better: both expansions, Hearts of Stone and Blood and Wine, are also free for owners of the base game, even if you never bought them. Here’s how to make sure you get everything.
Who Gets the Free Upgrade
CD Projekt Red’s wording is broad: “If you purchased any version of the game in the past, physical or digital, you will be able to upgrade for free to the Remastered version within the same platform ecosystem as soon as it releases.” The Remaster itself runs on these current platforms:
- PC (Steam, Epic Games Store, GOG, and Battle.net)
- PlayStation 5
- Xbox Series X|S
- Nintendo Switch 2
CD Projekt Red’s announcement adds that if you own The Witcher 3 on the original Nintendo Switch, you can claim the Remaster on Switch 2.
The base game is all you need to own. Players who skipped the expansions get Hearts of Stone and Blood and Wine as free downloads alongside the Remaster. That’s roughly 50 extra hours of content, including what many consider the best expansion ever made in Blood and Wine.
Step-by-Step: How to Get It
- Own the base game on any supported platform before or after launch day. There’s no deadline to claim the upgrade.
- The Remastered version arrived on September 29 as a game update. With auto-updates enabled, your platform downloads it on its own; if it has not appeared, check for updates manually.
- If it doesn’t start automatically, find The Witcher 3 in your library and check for updates manually (see platform notes below).
- On PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S and Switch 2 the expansions come with the update itself; CD Projekt Red says to “Simply update the game”.
Platform Notes
- Steam / GOG / Epic: updates apply automatically by default. Battle.net sells the Remastered edition as a new store, so there is no older Battle.net copy to upgrade. On Steam, right-click the game, then Properties, then Updates if you’ve changed the default behavior.
- PS5: highlight the game on the home screen, press Options, then Check for Update.
- Xbox Series X|S: My Games & Apps, then Manage, then Updates. The official change list confirms Xbox Play Anywhere support, so the same digital purchase covers Windows PC.
- Switch 2: the Remastered version is a separate eShop claim for Switch 1 owners, not a Software Update; our upgrade troubleshooting guide has the steps.
What’s Actually New
This is a far bigger update than the 2022 next-gen patch. CD Projekt Red’s official change list includes native DirectX 12 rendering with multithreading, path tracing and DLSS 4.5 support on PC, new finisher animations for Geralt, improved movement and traversal animations, polished Roach animations for mounting, cantering and galloping (plus a new horse control sensitivity slider), polished combat behavior for all non-boss monsters (their attack patterns, counterattacks, movement and reactions), Reforging to change your gear’s appearance, a much bigger Photo Mode, and a rebuilt skill system. Our news story on the full change list walks through it.
One heads-up before you load a save: CD Projekt Red flags that your skill points have been reset, because skills now sit in a new tree with three ranks each. See our guide on what carries over to the Remaster for the full breakdown. Every guide is on our Witcher 3 hub.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Remaster free on PS4 or Xbox One? The Remaster itself runs on current platforms only: PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S and Switch 2. On ownership, CD Projekt Red’s wording is: “If you purchased any version of the game in the past, physical or digital, you will be able to upgrade for free to the Remastered version within the same platform ecosystem.” To play it, you need the current hardware in that ecosystem. Old-gen owners can also bring saves forward via cross-progression.
Do I have to pay for Hearts of Stone or Blood and Wine? No. Both expansions are free for all owners of the base game as part of the Remastered release.
Is there a deadline to claim the free upgrade? No deadline has been announced. It’s an update to the game, not a limited-time offer.
Will the Remaster be sold separately for new players? New players simply buy The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, which is now the Remastered version.