CD Projekt Red has announced an unexpected final expansion for The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, titled "Songs of the Past," which will see the return of Geralt of Rivia as the playable protagonist. This comes as a surprise to many, given that Ciri was positioned to star in the upcoming The Witcher 4. The expansion, set to release in 2026, aims to provide an "unlikely second epilogue" for Geralt.
Paweł Sasko, long-term quest designer for The Witcher series, explained that the concept for "Songs of the Past" originated some time ago, conceived by the core Witcher team, including narrative director Philip Weber. Development on The Witcher 4 began after the release of Cyberpunk 2077, but a segment of the team remained focused on The Witcher 3, which saw a next-gen update in 2022. This continued engagement with the original game laid the groundwork for the expansion's ideas.
Players will explore Letten, a new island located in northeastern Redania. Sasko detailed the art direction's aim to create a distinct identity for this region, drawing inspiration from the Polish and English countryside. The visual design employs colors like pink and violet, enhanced by ray tracing, to offer a fresh aesthetic while maintaining cohesion with the established Witcher world. This approach seeks to balance novelty with the familiar, ensuring that players returning to the Complete Edition years later will not feel as though they are playing an entirely different game.
The expansion's aesthetic blends dreamy, fairy-tale elements with darker, ethereal horror, a style directly inspired by Andrzej Sapkowski's original books. Sasko highlighted the concept of "fairy tales gone wrong" as a recurring tool used throughout the franchise, which "Songs of the Past" will lean into further, giving it a distinct, airy, and slightly surreal feel. This thematic approach is tied to the story's beginning, where Geralt awakens after a celebration and gradually pieces together events.
The narrative of "Songs of the Past" centers on Geralt's search for his old friend, Dandelion. Sasko emphasized that while The Witcher 3 heavily explored themes of fatherhood and Geralt's relationship with Ciri, this expansion will focus on friendship. Dandelion, a character Sasko has written for previously, was felt to have been underserved, prompting a desire to explore his character more deeply and showcase the profound bond he shares with Geralt. Doug Cockle, the voice of Geralt, added that the books offer glimpses into Dandelion's serious side and family history, aspects the games have not yet fully explored, making him a compelling companion to Geralt.
"Songs of the Past" also introduces significant gameplay modernizations, addressing what has been identified as the most criticized aspect of The Witcher 3. Sasko noted that lessons learned from developing Cyberpunk 2077's 2.0 update have been applied to The Witcher 3's engine. Improvements focus on exploration, Geralt's movement controls, and the addition of finisher attacks. Combat has been overhauled with a greater emphasis on active abilities and synergies, moving away from the base game's reliance on passive skills. New tools, such as the iron chain—mentioned in the books and featured in The Witcher 1's intro—will also be incorporated into combat.
Addressing the narrative pacing, Sasko, who also designed The Witcher 3's lengthy "Bloody Baron" quest, stated that the team has learned to structure gameplay into focused beats of approximately 40 minutes, alternating intense story and gameplay segments with periods of exploration. This approach aims to maintain player engagement throughout the expansion, avoiding the prolonged narrative stretches that may have led some players to stop playing The Witcher 3 previously.
Doug Cockle expressed his enthusiasm for returning to the role of Geralt, describing the process as a natural continuation of a long-standing symbiosis between himself and the character. He noted how his own life experiences and aging have informed his portrayal of an older Geralt. Sasko, meanwhile, expressed pride in CD Projekt Red's decision to release a substantial new expansion 11 years after the original game's launch, particularly noting that it will be free on day one and available on the Nintendo Switch.