What Songs of the Past Is and Why It Matters
Songs of the Past is a newly announced Witcher 3 expansion that brings Geralt back for a fresh, story-driven DLC adventure, designed to bridge the narrative and marketing gap before The Witcher 4 while updating the classic RPG for modern hardware and audiences. CD Projekt Red has confirmed that Songs of the Past will launch in 2027 on PC, Xbox Series X|S, and PlayStation 5, a full 12 years after The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt first released and 11 years after Blood and Wine. That timing makes it one of the most delayed full expansions ever for a major role-playing game. The new Witcher 3 expansion is framed as a return “to the Path with Geralt of Rivia once more,” signaling that long-time players will get at least one more chapter with the original protagonist before the series hands the reins to Ciri in The Witcher 4.
Geralt’s Return and the Narrative Bridge to The Witcher 4
The core appeal of Songs of the Past DLC is simple: Geralt return. CD Projekt Red has confirmed that players will again control Geralt of Rivia rather than Ciri, a deliberate contrast with The Witcher 4, where Ciri is set to lead. The title hints at unresolved business and emotional baggage from Geralt’s earlier life, and reports suggest the expansion will be set closer to Velen, one of the grimmest regions in The Witcher 3. Previous leaks pointed to a story that might bridge the gap between The Wild Hunt and the upcoming sequel, giving CD Projekt Red a clean way to tie off loose threads and gently steer players toward the new saga. While story specifics remain secret until late-summer 2026, the studio clearly wants this DLC to feel like a farewell tour rather than a throwaway side story.
Co-Development With Fool’s Theory and What It Signals
Songs of the Past is being co-developed by CD Projekt Red and Fool’s Theory, a Polish studio formed by developers who previously worked on The Witcher. Fool’s Theory is already handling the remake of the first Witcher title, so its involvement in this Witcher 3 expansion suggests CD Projekt Red is building a long-term external partner for the franchise. The collaboration should help keep The Witcher 4’s production on track while still delivering a substantial DLC for fans. CD Projekt has said the new expansion was originally meant to debut on its REDstreams broadcast, but the reveal was moved up after the project surfaced on RED Launcher. The choice to entrust Geralt’s return to a team of series veterans shows how carefully the studio is treating this late chapter, aiming for continuity in tone and design while spreading development across multiple internal and external teams.
New PC Specs, Windows 11 Only, and What That Means for Players
Alongside the Witcher 3 expansion, CD Projekt Red is raising The Witcher 3’s minimum PC requirements and making Windows 11 mandatory for the updated build. The new baseline calls for an AMD Ryzen 5 2600 or Intel Core i5-8400 CPU, an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 or AMD Radeon RX 5500 XT 8GB GPU, 12 GB of RAM, and 70 GB of SSD storage. HDD support is being dropped, and the game will run exclusively on DirectX 12. According to CD Projekt Red, “Windows 11 will be the minimum required OS for both The Witcher 3 and Cyberpunk 2077 following Microsoft’s end of support for Windows 10 on October 14, 2025.” Players with older setups are not completely locked out: CDPR notes that it will still be possible to play by reverting to an earlier version of the game without Songs of the Past.
Why CD Projekt Red Is Returning to The Witcher 3 Now
The timing of Songs of the Past reflects both audience demand and studio strategy. The Witcher 3 has enjoyed renewed attention thanks to the Netflix series and a steady stream of new players discovering the game through next-gen updates. Launching another Witcher 3 expansion in 2027 keeps the brand visible while The Witcher 4 targets the same year “at the earliest” as part of CD Projekt Red’s six-year roadmap, which also includes The Witcher 5 and The Witcher 6. With no more Cyberpunk 2077 DLC planned and Cyberpunk 2 unlikely before 2030, the studio is clearly prioritizing its fantasy universe. Songs of the Past DLC serves as both a nostalgic return for long-time fans and a marketing on-ramp for newcomers, turning an aging classic into an active pillar of CD Projekt Red’s future rather than a finished chapter.
