The Witcher 3's New Expansion Brings Geralt One Last Ride

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt – Songs of the Past is shaping up to be a substantial farewell to Geralt, adding a new story, enemies, combat mechanics, romance options, and more Gwent before The Witcher 4 begins a new trilogy.

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is back in the conversation for one of gaming's greatest topics more than a decade after its first release. Meanwhile, CD Projekt Red has a big free remastering release in the works for September 29, and the game’s next big expansion, Songs of the Past, will arrive in 2027.

The expansion is set after the events of The Witcher 3 and is being branded as a probable final chapter for Geralt of Rivia. In theory, Geralt's tale may be revisited in the future, but it seems that Songs of the Past was planned as a passing-of-the-torch moment before The Witcher 4 moves the focus onto Ciri and starts a new Witcher trilogy.

The new quest will bring Geralt to Dandelion's northern birthplace and family estate, Lent.

Geralt wanted to retire and finally find some peace, but another mystery inevitably draws him back into action. This time, the story focuses on his long friendship with Dandelion. The backdrop is an ideal Polish countryside-inspired area full of traditions, harvests, and festivities. But a sinister secret and an old horror lurk beneath that serene atmosphere.

Geralt’s inquiry into Dandelion's missing wealth finally points toward his friend’s family estate, where the fate of one of Geralt’s closest ties becomes more and more critical. CD Projekt Red said Songs of the Past will keep the freedom that made The Witcher 3 so unique, but will offer more deliberate narrative guidance.

Rather than building another massive open world like the first game, the expansion will include a more focused quest, similar in scale to Blood and Wine. Every aspect of Lent has been designed to enhance the experience, from the walkways and architecture to the interiors, lighting, colors, and environmental aspects. The makers want players to organically stumble upon significant story moments without feeling like they are being railroaded along a particular path.

The update also introduces a host of new threats. One is the Thorn Bloom, a plant organism that can shoot acid from a distance. Another enemy, the Sorian, is a ghoul-like creature covered by a swarm of hornets. Also of note is a particularly striking boss: an undead aristocrat, covered in roots, who's partially become a tree, and strikes you with huge, bark-covered arms and roots.

But perhaps the biggest addition to gameplay will be the new chain weapon.

The crossbow is replaced with the chain in Geralt's equipment slot, which uses improved targeting mechanics that slow time and expose enemy weak areas. Players choose a target and fire the chain to lure enemies toward Geralt, with well-timed strikes perhaps triggering horrific finishers. According to the developers, the chain idea came from a concept in an older Witcher video, but past attempts to implement it were too clumsy.

Apparently, changes made to The Witcher 3 for its remaster helped make the mechanism feel smooth enough to ultimately incorporate it. Instead of rebuilding combat from scratch, Songs of the Past builds on the original system. The remaster already includes gameplay tweaks, and the expansion adds new foes and chains for more options in confrontations.

The plot also includes Lilia, a smart, adventurous, rebellious new heroine who joins Geralt on his hunt for Dandelion. She seems like a potential new love interest, which has already caused considerable talk in the Witcher community. The story itself involves a cursed well and unsettling visions of bloodthorns and violets going to the Garden of Thorns.

The setting is a bizarre, maze-like atmosphere filled with skulls, violets, and a dying deer whose blood feeds the construction. Apparently, CD Projekt Red writers came up with Songs of the Past years ago, but it was put on the back burner. The project has recently been restarted and expanded with the help of Fool's Theory, which is also slated to work on The Witcher 1 remake.

Note that Fool’s Theory has already proven its interest in narrative-driven RPGs with The Thaumaturge.

The studio has also hired former CD Projekt Red developers, further strengthening the team’s knowledge of the Witcher universe. In addition to the story and combat additions, Songs of the Past will be packed with new Gwent cards and should give about 20 hours of content. Doug Cockle, the original Geralt voice actor, will also return.

The expansion will also be available on PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S and Nintendo Switch 2, with a Battle.net release also planned. Available to wishlist now, but the exact price has yet to be decided. Until then, players may get their fix by revisiting The Witcher 3 in its free remastered edition. Existing owners will be able to download the update, including those who simply purchase the base game, making it a perfect chance to get back into Geralt's journey until Songs of the Past arrives in 2027.