Developer CD Projekt Red has released a 12-minute gameplay video on YouTube for Songs of the Past, which is the third expansion for The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. The footage was featured at Gamescom 2026.
CD Projekt Red Debuts 12-Minute Gameplay Video for ‘Songs of the Past’
The expansion is scheduled to launch in 2027 for PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and Nintendo Switch 2, according to IGN India. It is being developed in partnership with Fool’s Theory, a studio founded by CD Projekt Red veterans that handled the brunt of the development work.
Alongside the expansion, a full remaster of the original game is scheduled to launch on September 29, 2026. This remastered version will be provided for free to anyone who purchased the original game back in 2015, and will feature advanced ray tracing, enhanced lighting, and graphical upgrades, as well as smoother camera and targeting behavior.
Exploring Letten and Dandelion’s Family Matters
During the gameplay presentation, Level Design Lead Miles Tost introduced Letten, which serves as the core setting for the new adventure. Described as an open-world region similar in scale to Toussaint from the Blood and Wine
expansion, Letten features new quests, characters, locations, and monsters.
The region draws inspiration from the rural countrysides of Poland and England, incorporating pagan customs, architecture, and pastoral landscapes. Because it remains relatively untouched by war compared to other areas of the Continent and benefits from an abundant natural environment, it is also referred to as the Land of Plenty.
Geralt travels to this peaceful region because of Dandelion, whose hometown is Letten. Geralt visits to help the bard with his family matters, including a visit to the manor where Dandelion spent his childhood. However, a black flag signifying mourning hangs over the mansion, marking the reason Dandelion returned home after a long absence.
Later in the video, the Garden of Thorns is revealed. Geralt visits this location alongside Dandelion’s cousin Lila to investigate an ancient legend passed down through the Lettenhove family. The forest carries an unnatural atmosphere that even local residents are reluctant to approach, and Geralt eventually becomes separated from Lila while tracking down hidden secrets.
Enhanced Combat, New Monsters, and NPC Systems
The expansion builds upon the existing community system of The Witcher 3
to create more complex behavior patterns for townspeople, featuring everyday routines, activities, interactions, and detailed dialogue.
Combat additions include a new monster called the Swarmion,
which wraps swarms of wasps or hornets around its body to use as a defensive armor shield. To counter this, Geralt receives a newly added chain tool that breaks through enemy shields and incorporates a system targeting specific weak points. CD Projekt Red has also enhanced Geralt’s combat and skill trees, introducing new DNA-modifying mutagens that alter his biology and supernatural abilities.
Returning voice actors Doug Cockle and John Schwab reprise their respective roles as Geralt and Dandelion for the morally murky narrative. Studio executives noted that while Geralt’s story had a natural conclusion following his retirement on a vineyard estate in Toussaint, the gap in the release calendar prior to the arrival of The Witcher 4
in 2028 allowed the team to finally bring this long-held story out of the drawer.
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