“I was in a conversation with a person who started a studio and was telling me: ‘I’m running a primarily AI-based studio. I can have 40 prototypes within a week, two weeks from now I can have five games that I chose are going to be the best, and three weeks from now, I’m actually launching a game.’” Nowakowski went on to note that he still had doubts about whether this concept would even work out.

“Maybe that’s going to be successful, but I have some doubts whether this is really the path to follow.”

Nowakowski had last spoken about the use of generative AI in game development during an earnings report from back in December 2025. At the time, he said that the studio had no plans to hire more ‘classic’ IT people to integrate generative AI tools in its development pipelines.

“We are not really hiring ‘classic’ IT – but I understand this is supposed to be about gaming industry talent – the availability of talent has perhaps increased a bit over the past three years, but I’m not sure I’d actually ascribe it to AI, to be perfectly honest – some studios have been going through turmoil; there were some project closures and so on, which led to many redundancies in the gaming industry; we’ve all seen that – it’s been very dramatic in many cases – but – literally kill me here, but I don’t recall a single time when it would be attributable directly to AI,” he explained.

He then went on to note that the studio was using AI tools in “productivity areas”, and while he didn’t explain what it meant, he noted that these tools aren’t capable of handling the creative aspects of game development.

“At least I don’t know about that. And as for reducing headcount thanks to AI – I don’t imagine that. Our usage of AI is mainly in the productivity areas, and that’s where we see the largest benefits of that. The benefits are real, they’re meaningful, but it’s not a situation – and I’m unaware of such a situation – where AI could ‘sit down and make games,’ he said. “That’s our take. It doesn’t mean it’s not gonna be useful, but it’s not gonna be making The Witcher 5, or 6, or anything like that.”

There have been quite a few recent conversations about the use of generative AI. Palworld developer Pocketpair’s head of communications and publishing, John Buckley, said that the company doesn’t plan on using these tools because “gamers don’t want it.” On the other hand, Crystal Dynamics has confirmed that generative AI was used in the earlier processes of the development of Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis.

It’s considered one of the best role-playing games out there today, especially after Phantom Liberty. However, despite changing how it develops titles (including properly documenting everything), steps to eliminate crunch, and more, CD Projekt joint CEO Michał Nowakowski believes its redemption arc hasn’t been completed.

“I’m not 100 percent convinced we went through the full redemption arc,” he told the Knowledge newsletter (via GamesRadar). “I’m convinced that we lost the faith of some people indefinitely, and that’s a fair thing.”

Of course, the company isn’t simply taking it lying down. Nowakowski hopes that “we will be able to make it back – if not with The Witcher 4, then with whatever comes next.” Which would potentially be Cyberpunk 2, if not The Witcher Remake from Fool’s Theory.

Regardless, it’s a long journey, especially since CD Projekt isn’t keen on releasing a swath of titles. In the same interview, Nowakowski said that he’s not keen on a big game every year, and the team isn’t planning to grow by having several new IPs. Instead, the plan is to make “really cool games” – with the odd expansion such as, say, Songs of the Past for The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt.

As for The Witcher 4, it doesn’t have a release date, but chief financial officer Piotr Nielubowicz said that it wouldn’t launch before 2027 at the earliest.

And while progress may seem somewhat slow – remember that Cyberpunk 2 entered pre-production in May 2025 – CD Projekt co-CEO Michał Nowakowski wouldn’t have it any other way. Speaking to the Knowledge newsletter (via GamesRadar), he said, “Our dream is to be making more games, although we never want to turn into the studio that’s going to be launching a big game every year.

“It may happen, but this is not the goal. We have a rough ten-year rolling plan, but the goal is not to flood the games market with CDPR games. We just want to make really cool games, and we don’t want to have a ton of IPs either. We’re not planning to grow in that way.”

Which isn’t to say that CD Projekt isn’t leveraging existing IPs in other ways. The Witcher 1 is getting a remake courtesy of Fool’s Theory (which is also working on Songs of the Past). Then there’s Project Sirius, a multiplayer experience set in the same universe, though its premise and overall gameplay remain to be revealed.

One new IP, Project Hadar, is also in the works and promises an “emotional, open-world experience”, according to a recent job listing. Of course, the lack of release dates, especially for The Witcher 4 and Cyberpunk 2, is still in line with Nowakowski’s stance. And considering how much long-term revenue the company’s biggest hits have provided, it wouldn’t be surprising that CD Projekt is focusing on quality above all.

The project has been described as a brand-new one set in the world of The Witcher, and will seemingly be a free-to-play game. Its main timeframe will be in the year 1230, with series protagonist Geralt still being a young witcher. Gameplay will revolve around players taking on contracts to take on monsters across the game’s various environments. Some of the biomes to be included in the title include dark forests, villages, and haunted ruins.

The core combat mechanics will reportedly be powered by a skill-based system, with players having a choice of picking their preferred abilities from the various Witcher schools. Along with this, players will also get to brew potions to enhance their combat capabilities, as well as make use of Signs like Igni to help out in a fight. It is currently unknown which development team is working with CD Projekt RED on the project, but the report speculates that it might be mobile developer Scopely.

The studio was confirmed to be working with CD Projekt on an unnamed project, with the latter company saying that work on the project was progressing at a rapid pace. However, CD Projekt also noted that “it’s definitely not a story for 2026,” during its earnings report in March.

Scopely is known to be a major player in mobile gaming, and had announced plans to acquire Pokémon Go developer Niantic last year. At the time, the company had said that it wouldn’t introduce obstructive things to the game in a bid to increase its revenue.

“Scopely really recognises how unique this game is, and they’ve told us themselves that they would be foolish to try to change the recipe of what’s made this such a huge hit and a success,” said senior product director Michael Steranka at the time. “So yeah, absolutely not. We will not be building into our games any type of obtrusive ads or anything like that.”

In the meantime, CD Projekt RED has been working with Fool’s Theory on The Witcher 3’s Songs of the Past expansion. Co-CEO Michał Nowakowski had compared the DLC’s scope to that of Blood and Wine, and confirmed that it was originally slated for release in 2026 before being pushed back to a 2027 release window.

“We had a moment where our plans for Songs of the Past would be released this year,” he said. “However, we decided, together with the development team, that the game will be launching in 2027 to achieve the best possible result from the consumer standpoint, which, in the end, frankly speaking, is the only thing that really matters.”

The Songs of the Past DLC will come to The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S. The studio has also said that its story won’t be a prologue to The Witcher 4.

And while the announcement of Songs of the Past, a new expansion for The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, has certainly made all our medallions hum with anticipation, we took a step back to think about what’s actually been revealed about it other than its name and a very cool-looking sword.

Well, we put everything we know about it together so you don’t have to. Let’s get cracking!

A Current-Gen Expansion?

Although it would be reasonable to expect that Songs of the Past is making its way to older consoles, considering that Wild Hunt and the two previous expansions were available for them, CD Projekt Red has announced that it’s available on the PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S.

While that doesn’t automatically erase the probability of the expansion showing up on older platforms, we did find it to be an odd omission from the announcement. That, and the fact that Windows 10 support is being taken off the board, has us pondering if this one’s going to be current-gen exclusive. There’s also the fact that it will require SSDs instead of HDDs to improve load times and performance, and that it’s going to run exclusively on DirectX 12 going forward. It’s confirmed that you could revert back to older versions if you haven’t been able to current-gen just yet, though, so there’s that.

The studio has also been quick to stress that this one’s an expansion, not to be confused with DLC. That means that this one comes with an entirely new story, a new region, and potentially new twists to the gameplay loop instead of merely dropping free cosmetics or contracts, as it has done in the past. That’s a welcome distinction, as it means that there’s going to be a lot of things to like about it when it drops.

A “Proper Big” One

The distinction between an expansion and DLC becomes all the more relevant when you consider what CDPR’s own Michał Nowakowski has said about it. He basically said that it could come close to Heart and Stone in its scope, which is something that has us very excited, not just because Geralt’s time in that one was packed with activity, but because it brought so many familiar fan-favorite faces to the table.

We’re expecting a story that lets us glimpse a version of Geralt from his early days as a Witcher, and perhaps even tells us more about Yennefer and Ciri’s stories before the web of destiny brought the trio together for everything that they’ve faced down over the years. That’s good news, and our next entry on this list is going to tell you why.

A Brand New Tale To Behold

Although the expansion is clearly a trip to the past, it’s certainly going to be a tale we haven’t heard about before. That’s in line with CDPR’s own assertion that Songs of the Past is an expansion, and we’re sure the lot of you are familiar with how the studio does expansions. If, by some chance, you haven’t played Hearts of Stone, know that things get quite intense and nuanced, just like the base game.

Considering the expansion’s name, we think it could take us way back in time, considering how Geralt was more or less retired, and deservedly so. But where and when could it take us back to?

Geralt Is The Playable Protagonist

CDPR has confirmed that Geralt’s going to be the playable protagonist, and we’re always happy to return to the gruff, cynical anti-hero that he is. But his presence and role in the expansion have us wondering what awaits him this time around. Working off the theory that this one’s set in the past, we’re quite intrigued by which part of his life it could focus on.

Are we getting an insightful look into the weathered Witcher’s childhood before he was turned over to Vesemir’s care? Could we finally get to see his deal with Calanthe that bound Ciri’s destiny to his own, courtesy of the Law of Surprise? Does that mean we get to see Pavetta and her brave knight defy the Lion of Cintra’s wishes, with Geralt and Dandelion backing them up?

Speaking of Dandelion, it’s also possible that he could have a role to play in this one, accompanying Geralt on his travels as he always has in the past. He’s already in the artwork, serenading a pair of maidens as usual. If we were to guess, we’d say that Cintra is a great place for this one, considering how closely it’s tied to the story already on offer in Wild Hunt, and its ties to both Ciri and Geralt, and the fact that we know that Dandelion has accompanied Geralt to the Cintran court in the books.

A Fresh Yet Familiar Weapon

Officially released artwork for the expansion shows off a very cool-looking sword in Geralt’s hands, which is sure to come in handy when dealing with the monster behind him, which looks an awful lot like a Leshen. But its elvish design has prompted a lot of speculation about the expansion, possibly giving us a closer look at Elven culture, especially since Bellentine is quite relevant to the elves who call The Continent their home.

We can’t honestly say that we’re entirely sure that this might be the case, and all of this is speculation at this point, but given that CDPR has since confirmed that the sword plays a big role in the expansion’s story, its elven embellishments could be a major indicator as to where Songs of the Past could take us aside from Cintra. We’d guess that it could lead Geralt toward discovering Ciri’s true potential in what could be a solid way to set up her story in The Witcher 4, whenever that one makes it to our hands.

CDPR Isn’t Working Solo On This One

Songs of the Past is being developed in collaboration with Fool’s Theory, the studio that’s already working on a remake of the first Witcher title, which is good news when you consider CDPR has told us that Fool’s Theory includes a lot of industry veterans with experience working on The Wild Hunt.

During the company’s latest earnings call, joint CEO Michał Nowakowski said the project is now in an advanced stage, with roughly 190 developers assigned to it. Most of that team comes from Fool’s Theory, which is leading day-to-day development, while CD Projekt RED remains involved on the creative side to ensure the expansion still feels authentic to The Witcher. CDPR hasn’t clarified exactly how many of its own internal developers are contributing to the expansion. What we do know, however, is how the studio’s broader workforce is currently distributed.

As of April 30, 2026, Project Orion, the next Cyberpunk game, has 163 developers attached to it. Project Sirius, The Molasses Flood’s multiplayer-focused Witcher spin-off, is being handled by 83 developers, while Project Hadar has slipped slightly from 26 developers to 24. Unsurprisingly, The Witcher 4 remains CD Projekt RED’s biggest priority by a wide margin. The project now has 513 developers working on it, up from 499 in February. Given how much of CDPR’s internal manpower is already tied up between The Witcher 4 and Cyberpunk’s sequel, it makes sense that Fool’s Theory is carrying much of the expansion’s production load. Whether that has any knock-on effect on The Witcher Remake, however, is still unclear.

We think it’s a really good thing as it allows both studios to dive deep into what makes the franchise tick, a learning experience that could work wonders for the remake, which is an equally exciting event on the horizon for Geralt and his band of allies. It’s also probably a good time to mention that cross-platform mod support is still in development for Wild Hunt, which is sure to bring a whole lot of cool stuff to the table when it finally gets here.

A Matter Of Timing

There isn’t too much information on when Songs of the Past is scheduled to drop, other than a 2027 release window, and the promise of more news at Gamescom 2026 (which is still too far away for our tastes). That might be due to the announcement being leaked earlier than planned, thanks to a mix-up on the RED Launcher. Perhaps CDPR was trying to spare us a couple of agonizing months spent waiting for more information? 2027 marks twenty years of the franchise, and it does make sense for an expansion focused on the past to drop around then.

Either way, the cat’s out of the bag, but what does that release window mean for The Witcher 4? If we were to make an educated guess, we’d say that 2028 is looking more likely by the minute for the franchise’s upcoming Ciri-focused outing.

New PC Requirements

Keeping in line with the new and updated system requirements for the game, it only makes sense that the minimum specs you’re going to need to keep things running as smoothly as they can get a major bump up.

You’re going to need an AMD Ryzen 5 2600 / Intel Core i5-8400 CPU, a GTX 1660 / RX 5500 XT 8GB GPU, 6 GB VRAM, 12 GB RAM, 70 GB SSD, and Windows 11 64-bit to be able to play the new and improved version, which we suspect is also going to help with mods as and when they’re added to the game. It’s good to know that Wild Hunt is getting so much long-term support from its makers, though.

And that’s it from us for this one. We can’t wait to learn more about Songs of the Past, although we’re going to have to be patient and let CDPR cook for now. But you can bet we’re going to be right here telling you about it all as soon as we learn more. Until then, we suggest a bit of meditation to pass the time.

If you think that’s in line with what The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt and Cyberpunk 2077 have brought to the table, which left us thinking about their worlds long after the credits rolled, you’re pretty much on the money. Of course, we’re quite optimistic about the studio behind those two classics having more than a few tricks up its sleeve as the game begins to take shape.

That’s now a strong possibility considering recent statements from CD Projekt joint CEO Michał Nowakowski, although we’re curious to know more about how the studio is managing its time between The Witcher 3 – Songs of the Past and, of course, The Witcher 4. It’s way too early for guessing games at this point, but given the developer’s track record, Project Hadar has us excited. Now all that’s left is to wait for more updates, ideally sooner rather than later.

In a recent financial earnings call, CD Projekt joint CEO Michał Nowakowski revealed that “the expansion is now in an advanced phase of production. Around 190 developers, most of them from our trusted partners at Fool’s Theory, are currently working with us on the project. At the same time, CD Projekt RED provides the creative oversight to safeguard the quality of the Witcher experience.”

How many developers from CDPR are involved remains unknown, but as of April 30th, 2026, there are 163 developers currently working on Project Orion aka Cyberpunk 2. Project Sirius, a multiplayer Witcher spin-off developed by The Molasses Flood, is next up at 83 developers, while Project Hadar has dropped from 26 to 24.

The Witcher 4 continues to command the lion’s share of resources with 513 developers currently, up from 499 in February. With CD Projekt RED’s focus split between its two core projects, it’s understandable that Fool’s Theory is handling the bulk of the expansion. Whether it’s affecting development on The Witcher Remake is a different question altogether.

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt – Songs of the Past launches in 2027 for Xbox Series X/S, PS5, and PC, with a reveal confirmed for Gamescom. However, you should expect something akin to a guided demo rather than hands-on time, per Nowakowski.

When asked if expansions for the new Witcher trilogy were possible, given the company’s “very ambitious project pipeline,” he replied, “As you mentioned in the question, the plans are pretty ambitious. Specifically, it’s to release three Witcher games within a six-year period. It would be difficult, to be very honest, for us to add an expansion to the upcoming trilogy. This is where we are here and now with this particular issue.”

In case you missed it, CD Projekt has been adamant that after The Witcher 4’s launch, The Witcher 5 and The Witcher 6 would arrive afterwards in a span of six years. So assuming Ciri’s first solo adventure launches in 2027, that would mean the next chapter could debut in 2030, followed by the saga’s potential conclusion in 2033.

Now, you could say that The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt received its first expansion, Hearts of Stone, in October 2015, just a few months after the base game, followed by Blood and Wine in May 2016. However, keep in mind that Cyberpunk 2077, a brand new title, launched over five years later (development troubles aside).

If the company wants the same level of quality from The Witcher 5 and 6, if not higher, given the progression of the story, it makes sense to focus all their resources on the same. The possibility of expansions for any of these games isn’t exactly zero, if Songs of the Past arriving more than 11 years after The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt wasn’t enough indication, but for now, CD Projekt RED has bigger priorities.

While Joint CEO Michał Nowakowski used that term to describe the expansion, he offered clarification on a financial earnings call. “First and foremost, we really wanted to deliver a great experience to the fans – a really cool expansion that’s going to make people happy that they can come back to The Witcher 3 setting. But of course, indirectly, yes, it is a reminder [about the franchise]. It is, in a way, a prologue, although it’s not a prologue in a verbatim way in [that] it’s a prologue for the actual Witcher 4.”

In short, consider it as more of a stopgap that should reignite interest in the franchise before the new trilogy with Ciri begins. “Yes, you can look at it in a way [that] it’s a way to maintain certain chatter on The Witcher 3, but all of those are additional side effects. The core thing from our perspective is really delivering a high-quality, fun experience to the existing fans of The Witcher.”

But when can we expect the sequel? Nowakowski wouldn’t offer any details on release dates or discuss the impact of Songs of the Past on The Witcher 4. Regarding the expansion’s price, he replied, “We are going to reveal that when the right [time] comes.”

There will be a reveal at Gamescom in August, but that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s hands-on for attendees. “I cannot really talk through the details, but what I would suggest is that historically when we were showing Witcher games, we were typically doing a guided demo kind of experience, so probably you should be thinking more along those lines rather than a hands-on experience,” said Nowakowski.

While an appearance on Gamescom Opening Night Live seems more or less a given, it’s unknown whether this “guided demo” – if it indeed happens – will be present. CD Projekt RED could present a cinematic teaser trailer and then present a guided walkthrough of sorts while the trade fair is ongoing. At this point, it’s unknown, but the company is set on showing more.

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt – Songs of the Past launches in 2027 for Xbox Series X/S, PS5, and PC, and has been described as similar in scope to Blood and Wine. There were plans to release it this year, but CD Projekt ultimately decided on 2027 to ensure the best experience for players.

What happened? In a recent earnings call, CD Projekt Joint CEO Michał Nowakowski confirmed that, “We had a moment where our plans for Songs of the Past would be released this year. However, we decided, together with the development team, that the game will be launching in 2027 to achieve the best possible result from the consumer standpoint, which, in the end, frankly speaking, is the only thing that really matters.”

CD Projekt’s own admission that it had new content in the works further reinforced plans for a 2026 launch. “For several quarters, we’ve been disclosing that our pipeline includes some unannounced projects that are in an advanced production stage,” said chief financial officer Piotr Nielubowicz. “One of those is the expansion being co-developed by Fool’s Theory. Our early plans assumed that Songs of the Past could be released this year; however, we decided that it will be launching in 2027.”

Interestingly, Nowakowski threw his own hat in the ring regarding the overall size and scope, especially compared to Hearts of Stone and Blood and Wine. Much like the recent anniversary livestream for the latter, he admitted that it’s “actually a bit closer to Blood and Wine” in terms of scope, but added, “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 is the message I would send out there.”

So while it’s possible for someone to put in a dozen or so hours to complete the story, others may take time to smell the roses (assuming there are any where Geralt is going). The fact that HowLongToBeat rates a completionist run for Blood and Wine at 40.5 hours is indicative of the same, but there are other variables to consider there as well – such as how a “leisurely playthrough” can take 127 hours and 44 minutes.

Regardless, Songs of the Past is an expansion – “Big, massive, monster!” as lead quest designer Paweł Sasko quoted Idris Elba from his days playing Solomon Reed in Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty. But we’ll need to wait for more details, specifically at Gamescom 2026 in August, ahead of its launch next year. As always, stay tuned.