The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is set to receive a new expansion next year, titled Songs of the Past, which will introduce new enemy types and bring back familiar characters like Dandelion. Crucially, the DLC will also equip Geralt with a chain, a weapon that CD Projekt Red has stated was technically unfeasible to implement during the base game's original development.
The chain weapon is lore-accurate, having been depicted in The Witcher short stories and novels, and even featured in the opening cinematic of the original 2007 game against a striga. However, it was absent from The Witcher 2 and The Witcher 3. "It was impossible to do at the time for various technological reasons and challenges," explained Songs of the Past game director Jakub Rokosz in an interview with BBC News. "A few things had to click together, because we were able to address those challenges and issues during the remaster."
According to Rokosz, advancements in technology have now allowed the studio to implement the weapon in a way that feels natural and fluid, finally realizing a long-held vision. Senior quest designer Despoina Anetaki highlighted the chain's utility against new enemy types in the expansion, such as the Swarmions, which require crowd control to keep them at bay. The weapon will also allow Geralt to pull enemies closer for follow-up attacks, offering an alternative to the game's established crossbow.
Initial previews suggest the chain is a versatile tool. During a hands-off preview at Gamescom, Geralt's chain weapon was shown pulling enemies from a distance, breaking their defenses, and enabling new finisher animations, including one where the foe's head is severed. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt — Songs of the Past is slated for release in 2027, with The Witcher 4 expected the following year.