GAMESCOM 2026 — CD PROJEKT RED UPDATE

The Witcher Takes Over the Final Day

Cologne, Germany — August 30, 2026

As Gamescom 2026 enters its final hours, one company remains firmly at the centre of the conversation:

CD PROJEKT RED

The Polish studio has turned Gamescom into something much bigger than a standard booth appearance.

Across five days of REDstreams: On the Go!, the team has used Cologne to discuss the future of The Witcher 3, present its upcoming Remastered edition, explore the new expansion Songs of the Past, and bring developers directly into the conversation with the community. (The Witcher⁠)

And on the final day, The Witcher remains one of the biggest stories of the entire event.

🔴 THE FINAL DAY OF REDSTREAMS

Today marks the final chapter of CD PROJEKT RED’s five-day Gamescom streaming programme.

The studio promised daily broadcasts from Cologne featuring:

• developer interviews

• gameplay presentations

• behind-the-scenes discussions

• special guests

• previews of upcoming projects

The REDstreams programme has been running throughout Gamescom, effectively giving CD PROJEKT RED its own digital event inside the world’s biggest gaming convention. (The Witcher⁠)

Today’s programme has continued that focus.

One of the key segments was dedicated to:

THE WITCHER 3: WILD HUNT — REMASTERED

including a developer discussion and further gameplay coverage.

The final-day schedule also included a second gameplay overview later in the programme, giving fans another detailed look at the new version of Geralt’s adventure. (gamescom⁠)

🐺 THE WITCHER 3 REMASTERED — WHAT WE KNOW NOW

One of the biggest announcements surrounding CD PROJEKT RED at Gamescom was:

THE WITCHER 3: WILD HUNT — REMASTERED

The new version is scheduled to launch on:

September 29, 2026

The Remastered edition is planned as a significant upgrade to the legendary RPG, with improvements across visuals, performance and gameplay systems. (The Witcher⁠)

The official information highlights improvements including:

• upgraded environmental detail

• improved NPC textures

• enhanced monster textures

• major foliage improvements

• updated lighting

• improved rendering

• enhanced ray tracing

The goal is not simply to re-release the game.

It is to bring The Witcher 3 closer to modern technical standards while preserving the experience that made it one of the most celebrated RPGs in gaming history. (The Witcher⁠)

🎁 THE BIGGEST SURPRISE — THE UPGRADE IS FREE

Perhaps the most important detail is that existing owners on qualifying platforms will receive the Remastered version as a:

FREE UPGRADE

CD PROJEKT RED has confirmed eligibility across platforms including:

• GOG

• Steam

• Epic Games Store

• PlayStation 5

• Xbox Series X|S

The game is also coming to Nintendo Switch 2, with additional details surrounding that version continuing to be discussed after the Gamescom presentations. (The Witcher⁠)

This has become one of the strongest community talking points around the announcement.

Instead of treating the new version as another full-price re-release, CD PROJEKT RED is positioning it as an upgrade for existing players.

🧙 SONGS OF THE PAST — THE NEXT CHAPTER

But the Remastered edition is only one part of the story.

The much bigger question is:

WHAT HAPPENS NEXT TO GERALT?

The answer is:

THE WITCHER 3: WILD HUNT — SONGS OF THE PAST

CD PROJEKT RED officially announced the new expansion earlier this year and brought it to Gamescom as one of the studio’s major presentations. (The Witcher⁠)

The expansion is scheduled for:

2027

And Gamescom visitors have been able to see guided presentations of the new content directly at the CD PROJEKT RED booth. (CD PROJEKT RED Press Center⁠)

🌍 A NEW PART OF THE CONTINENT

One of the biggest details surrounding Songs of the Past is the introduction of:

LETTEN

The new expansion takes players into a previously unexplored part of The Witcher world.

Official Gamescom material has positioned the expansion around a return to the Path and the exploration of this new region. (The Witcher⁠)

This is important because CD PROJEKT RED is not simply adding another quest chain to an existing location.

The studio is continuing to expand the world of The Witcher 3 more than a decade after the original game’s release.

That is an extraordinary situation in modern AAA gaming.

🎤 THE DEVELOPER PANELS — WHY THEY MATTER

The CD PROJEKT RED panels and REDstreams have become particularly important because Gamescom is not only being used to show trailers.

The developers are discussing:

• how the Remastered edition is being approached

• gameplay changes

• technical upgrades

• the continuing legacy of The Witcher 3

• what fans can expect from Songs of the Past

The final-day programme has specifically included developer-focused content around the Remastered edition, followed by additional gameplay analysis. (gamescom⁠)

For fans, these sessions matter because they provide context that a two-minute trailer cannot.

Gamescom has become a place where CD PROJEKT RED is explaining why The Witcher 3 is returning again — not just announcing that it is.

🧠 WHY RETURN TO THE WITCHER 3 NOW?

This is one of the most interesting questions of Gamescom 2026.

Why return to a game originally released in 2015?

The answer appears to be bigger than nostalgia.

The Witcher 3 remains one of CD PROJEKT RED’s most important games and one of the most commercially successful RPGs of all time.

The Gamescom announcements create a clear timeline:

2026

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt — Remastered

2027

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt — Songs of the Past

And beyond that:

The Witcher 4

CD PROJEKT RED has already established that the next mainline chapter begins a new saga and follows Ciri as its central protagonist. (The Witcher⁠)

This makes the current Witcher strategy particularly interesting.

The studio is effectively maintaining the legacy of Geralt while preparing the audience for the next era of the franchise.

👩‍🦳 FROM GERALT TO CIRI

The Witcher franchise is approaching a transition.

For years, Geralt of Rivia was the face of the games.

But the next mainline chapter is changing that.

The Witcher 4 introduces a new saga centred around Ciri and represents the next major evolution of the franchise. (The Witcher⁠)

That makes the current Gamescom strategy feel increasingly deliberate.

The Witcher 3 is being:

• remastered

• expanded

• technically updated

• brought to new platforms

• discussed through developer panels

• placed back at the centre of gaming conversation

Meanwhile, the future of the franchise is already moving forward.

🔥 CD PROJEKT RED DOMINATES THE AWARDS

The impact of the studio’s Gamescom campaign has also been reflected in the awards.

CD PROJEKT RED finished Gamescom 2026 with:

🏆 THREE AWARDS

including major recognition for its overall Gamescom presence and The Witcher campaign. The studio matched SEGA as one of the most awarded companies at the event. (gamescom⁠)

The result shows how effectively the studio used Gamescom.

This was not simply a booth with a trailer playing on a screen.

It became a multi-day event:

Opening Night Live

↓

Gamescom booth presentations

↓

REDstreams

↓

Developer interviews

↓

Gameplay analysis

↓

Community discussion

↓

Awards

🎮 THE WITCHER ON SWITCH 2 — THE QUESTION FANS ARE ASKING

Another talking point from Gamescom concerns the Nintendo Switch 2 version.

The Remastered edition is coming to the platform, but questions surrounding the physical release have continued.

CD PROJEKT RED has discussed the version while keeping some physical-edition details under wraps, saying further information will arrive at the appropriate time. (GamesRadar+⁠)

For collectors, this remains one of the stories to watch after Gamescom.

Will the new version receive a major physical release?

Will there be a collector-focused edition?

Could CD PROJEKT RED use the launch window to expand The Witcher merchandise programme?

For now:

NOT CONFIRMED

But it is clearly an area attracting attention.

🕵️ WHAT WE KNOW — AND WHAT WE DON’T

CONFIRMED

The Witcher 3 Remastered

📅 September 29, 2026

Free upgrade for eligible existing owners

🎮 Confirmed for qualifying platforms

Songs of the Past

📅 2027

New region

🌍 Letten

The Witcher 4

🐺 New saga centred around Ciri

REDstreams

📡 Five days of Gamescom coverage

STILL UNKNOWN

Exact release date for Songs of the Past

❓ Not yet announced

Full scope of the expansion

❓ More information expected

Complete physical-release strategy for Switch 2

❓ More details to come

How Songs of the Past will connect with the future of the franchise

❓ Still open for discussion

The Witcher 4 release date

❓ Not confirmed

🔮 THE BIGGER WITCHER QUESTION

The most interesting discussion coming out of Gamescom isn’t simply:

“How good does The Witcher 3 Remastered look?”

It is:

“What is CD PROJEKT RED building towards?”

The studio now has several Witcher projects existing across different stages.

THE LEGACY

The Witcher 3 Remastered

THE NEW STORY

Songs of the Past

THE NEXT SAGA

The Witcher 4

The franchise is no longer waiting for one massive announcement.

It is becoming an ongoing ecosystem.

And Gamescom 2026 may ultimately be remembered as the moment CD PROJEKT RED made that strategy much more visible.

🏁 GAMESCOM 2026 — CD PROJEKT RED’S FINAL HOURS

As Gamescom approaches its conclusion, CD PROJEKT RED remains one of the most important stories of the event.

The company arrived in Cologne with a clear mission:

Bring The Witcher back into the spotlight.

It succeeded.

A Remastered edition.

A new expansion.

A new region.

Developer panels.

Five days of REDstreams.

Awards.

And an entire fan community now asking what comes next.

The biggest question is no longer whether The Witcher has a future.

The question is:

HOW BIG WILL THAT FUTURE BECOME?

NEW FORMAT — FINAL GAMESCOM COVERAGE

Our next major article will bring together the entire story of Gamescom 2026:

• Opening Night Live

• Pre-Show

• Awesome Indies

• Future Games Show

• Xbox

• PlayStation

• Nintendo

• CD PROJEKT RED

• The Witcher

• Gamescom Awards

• Community events

• City Festival

• Final-day stories

• The biggest games of 2027 and beyond

GAMESCOM 2026 IS APPROACHING ITS END.

But for The Witcher, the next chapter is only beginning.