CD Projekt Red’s 2015 RPG masterpiece The Witcher 3 is getting an “enhanced” version which will launch on next-gen consoles, the studio has announced. And the good news is players based on our home platform won’t be left behind – the RPG game’s upgraded version is also coming to PC, and it’ll be completely free if you already own the game.
“The Witcher 3 is coming to the next generation!” CDPR’s post on Twitter announces. “A visually and technically enhanced version of the game will be available for purchase for PC and next-gen consoles”, it says, adding that it’ll come as a “free update” for owners of the game across PC, Xbox One, and PlayStation 4.
As for what the enhanced version entails, the developer reveals in a post on the open-world game’s site that it’s been developed to “take advantage of the most powerful gaming hardware”. It will feature “a range of visual and technical improvements”, for example the addition of ray tracing and quicker loading times, which apply across not only The Witcher 3 base game, but its two DLC expansions – Hearts of Stone and Blood and Wine – and “all extra content”.
If you don’t already own the game, CDPR does say the next-gen version of The Witcher 3 will also release as a standalone purchase option for PC and next-gen consoles.
The Witcher 3 is coming to the next generation!
A visually and technically enhanced version of the game will be available for purchase for PC and next-gen consoles & as a free update for owners of the game on PC, @Xbox One and @PlayStation 4.
More: https://t.co/JclubxpJim pic.twitter.com/gWCJzST3vr
— The Witcher (@witchergame) September 4, 2020
There’s no release date given for the new version, but lead PR manager at CDPR Radek Grabowski has tweeted it should be some time in 2021. It also appears from the images on the website post that it’ll be called The Witcher 3: Complete Edition.
2021 ⚔️ More info: https://t.co/vakxP8unKA pic.twitter.com/fYGHWrAznd
— Radek (@gamebowski) September 4, 2020
In the meantime, check out our rundown of the best Witcher 3 mods to see what’s possible in the current version of the game with some tweaks and tinkerings.