The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt was one of the best-reviewed games of 2015. Now, the climax of Geralt of Rivia’s three-game saga is on its way to next-gen consoles.
According to an official statement from CD Projekt Red, the next-gen version of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is in development for the PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X. CDPR plans to have the new versions out the door sometime in the second half of 2021.
CD Projekt dropped this news in the studio’s Group Strategy Update on March 30th. PR manager Radek Grabowski and the Witcher series Twitter account later tweeted out the same news. The game was technically already available on next-gen consoles thanks to backward comparability, but the new release will allow it to properly take advantage of more advanced hardware. The studio promises the next-gen update will bring “visual and technical improvements” to the popular RPG. The game's website specifically mentions ray tracing and faster loading speed as new features that gamers can expect. However, it’s not yet clear if the new version will support 4K HD. Still, that seems likely given Cyberpunk 2077s 4K functionality.
The next-gen edition includes the base game and all DLC. The new version will be available both as a stand-alone purchase and as a free upgrade for players who already own the Witcher 3 on PC, PS4, or Xbox One. Pricing of the stand-alone version is currently unavailable. However, it is unlikely to be significantly more expensive than the $49.99 Witcher 3: Game of the Year Edition. Incidentally, the Steam version of the GOTY Edition is currently on sale for only $9.99.
The Witcher 3 is considered by some to be one of the best RPGs of all time, so it is no surprise CDPR is updating it for next-gen hardware. It also was not the only news to come out of the studio's Group Strategy Update video. CD Projekt Red announced plans to continue working on both the Witcher and Cyberpunk franchises. That includes simultaneously developing AAA games in both series starting in 2022.
Given the troubled release of Cyberpunk 2077 late last year, it might seem a little early for the studio to be spreading itself so thin. Multiple people have compared the development of Cyberpunk 2077 to that of BioWare's Anthem. Both games suffered from many of the same difficulties, including an overstretched development team. Anthem’s development additionally suffered from being one of several AAA open-world games developed simultaneously. It would be unfortunate if the company that some see as BioWare’s primary rival continued to repeat its mistakes.
Still, these new projects are potentially a long way off. The company has also promised to address many of its issues in the future. This includes hiring new staff, reorganizing how the studio, being more careful with gam announcements. For now, though, fans have the upcoming Witcher 3 update to look forward to. Hopefully, it has a smoother release than the last big game CDPR rolled out.
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is available on PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series S/X.