CD Projekt Red is a busy beaver, but it clearly hasn't forgotten about the title that made it a household name: The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. CD Projekt Red recently confirmed The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt's PS5 and Xbox Series X upgrade release date as December 14, as well as released a new trailer showing off these enhancements (coming to the game for free).However, this is hardly the only title in the works. Across multiple dev teams and partnerships, CD Projekt Red is working on a brand new Witcher Saga, a remake of The Witcher 1, a proper sequel to Cyberpunk 2077, and a brand new original IP. A lot of CDPR content is on the horizon, but The Witcher 3 is obviously taking precedence. Shortly after the next-gen Witcher 3: Wild Hunt trailer went live, CDPR Global Community Director Marcin Momot outlined some of the features coming to the game. First, it doesn't matter what version of The Witcher 3 someone has, they're getting this upgrade. This applies to the vanilla edition, the complete edition, and the Game of the Year Edition. Anyone hoping it was a separate game for extra achievements should know that it's not the case - it applies directly to the existing version of the game someone already has. It'll also introduce new features like Photo Mode, Cross-Save, options for subtitles, and new camera options for Exploration, Combat, and Riding.
It'll also feature a new ULTRA+ setting on PC, as well as Performance and Ray Tracing Modes on consoles. Specifically, Performance will prioritize a 60 FPS, while Quality focuses on graphics and adds Ray Tracing features at 30 FPS. Momot also notes that patch notes for the game will arrive closer to release, and a physical release of this improved Witcher 3 is coming later on.
The one thing fans should know is that these next-gen upgrades only improve existing content and add important features that improve said content. There is no new content included in this upgrade. For example, someone asked about new Gwent Cards for The Witcher 3, which Momot said wouldn't happen as the mini-game is perfect as is, and it was clear that the Witcher 3's Premium DLC were not becoming free. Overall though, this sounds like a big update that's easily a step in the right direction.
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt's next-gen upgrades come to PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S on December 14.