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.

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.

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.

It appeared in a previous artwork of Geralt sitting by a bonfire during a festival called Belletyn. Dandelion is nearby with a poem, and clear as day, you can see the sword. CD Projekt RED’s senior community and social media manager, Laura Beitzel, acknowledged the art in the recent Blood and Wine 10th Anniversary stream while claiming that more “hints” await.

“We won’t give too much away right now because we want you to experience it as you play, but as a few eagle-eyed people have already seen over the past 24 hours, there are some hints waiting for you on a very important evening in Witcher lore, Belleteyn Night, in our Belleteyn celebration that we shared a few weeks ago. So, keep looking for clues.”

Regarding the Songs of the Past key art, community and social media manager Amelia Korzycka added, “So yes, Geralt is holding a sword. It is a very important sword for the story, and you will get to know it when the game comes out. So a few more streams before that when [we] reveal it.”

And while Songs of the Past is an expansion, you may be wondering how it compares to the developer’s previous work. Good news: It’s more akin to Blood and Wine, which is bigger than Hearts of Stone.

“Songs of the Past will be aligned with what you’re familiar with in Blood and Wine, and what you’ve come to experience and expect from us when we do our expansions,” said Beitzel. “It’s an expansion, let’s make it clear.”

Considering how meaty Bloody and Wine was, requiring 15 hours to finish the story and an additional 13 or so for the side content, it’s safe to say that Songs of the Past will have much to offer. It’s out in 2027 for Xbox Series X/S, PS5 and PC, but a reveal has been confirmed for Gamescom in August. Stay tuned for updates until then.

Which would make the expansion a prime candidate for a reveal at Gamescom Opening Night Live. Of course, we wouldn’t put it past CD Projekt RED to have even more details when the trade fair opens to the public. Maybe even some hands-on gameplay for attendees.

Co-developed by Fool’s Theory, which is also working on The Witcher Remake, Songs of the Past promises to be a “fresh adventure” for long-time fans and a “first encounter” for new players, especially if they know nothing about the universe. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt continues to sell gangbusters, recently crossing 65 million units sold, so it seems a given that the expansion will attract plenty of newcomers.

That would serve as a great way to set up Ciri’s journey in The Witcher 4. Perhaps a concrete release date for Songs of the Past will provide some clues on when the next mainline title could launch. As always, we’ll need to wait, but check out the updated PC requirements in the meantime.

These include an AMD Ryzen 5 2600 or an Intel Core i5-8400, an Nvidia GeForce GTX 1660 or a Radeon RX 5500 XT 8GB, 12 GB of RAM and 70 GB of installation space on an SSD. Windows 11 64-bit is also required, and will also apply to Cyberpunk 2077 following Microsoft’s end of support for Windows 10.

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt will also run exclusively on DirectX 12 so that the team can “support ongoing technical improvements and modern hardware more effectively.” Furthermore, only Windows 11 processors and graphics cards with “ongoing active driver support for gaming” on the OS will receive support.

If your system doesn’t meet those requirements, then don’t worry – you can always rollback to a previous version. Just keep in mind that you won’t be able to play Songs of the Past when it launches.

These changes will go into effect with The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt’s next update, which has yet to receive a release date. As always, stay tuned for more details and updates, especially later this Summer when Songs of the Past is properly revealed.

There are a few details available, aside from the developer confirming that this is indeed the third expansion after Hearts of Stone and Blood and Wine. Furthermore, Geralt of Rivia once again returns as the protagonist in a “new adventure.” And while it may seem like an eternity away, Songs of the Past will receive more details in the late Summer of this year.

Rumors have claimed that the next Witcher 3 expansion would cost $30 and take place close to Velen (as opposed to Zerrikania). Interestingly, it may tie into Andrzej Sapkowski’s Crossroads of Ravens, the latest novel in the series and a prequel that explores Geralt’s beginnings as a Witcher. Perhaps he returns to some familiar locations in the new expansion.

Time will tell. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is also available for Xbox One, PS4, and Nintendo Switch, but CD Projekt RED has made no mention about Songs of the Past launching for those versions. The base game has sold over 60 million units and is considered one of the best games ever made (if not the best open-world RPG). Check out our review for the latest version, which includes the Next-Gen Update, here.

In a livestream earlier this month, o grach was asked by viewers about the DLC and suggested that the new region may be closer than expected. While he previously confirmed hearing about a new DLC, he didn’t specifically affirm rumors that it would be set in Zerrikania. Instead, it could be near Velen, building off the existing region (which connects nicely to his stream about asset reuse in world design).

Of course, it’s worth noting that IGN Poland, which first reported about the dragon-obsessed region, specifically noted that this may no longer be the case. After all, both it and PPE, which further corroborated the DLC’s existence, first heard about it years prior, and plans can change significantly in that time.

Regardless of where you might stand on all this, the months are counting down to May when the alleged DLC is supposed to launch. The ball’s currently in CD Projekt RED’s court for an announcement, and all we can do is wait.

It was also discovered that last month, former Gry-Online editor-in-chief UV o grach and Ryszard Chojnowski, former project lead on The Witcher 1, discussed hearing about a potential new DLC. Since Gry-Online constitutes a Polish collective of gaming and electronic media sites, and has been around since 2001, there’s some weight behind o grach’s statement.

If that’s not enough, IGN Poland and PPE also confirmed rumors of the new DLC. Allegedly set in Zerrikania, a land that worships dragons, it may have shifted to encompassing Kovir instead. The actual plot and what players can expect is still very much unknown.

While there’s no official word on the DLC’s existence, that hasn’t stopped Noble Securities’ Mateusz Chrzanowski from proclaiming that it will launch in May for $30. Its events will connect to The Witcher 4 while also kicking off marketing for the title (which he believes will launch in 2027).

As always, time will tell, but even if it ends up completely false, fans can still look forward to one final patch with cross-platform mod support for consoles.