In a highly anticipated announcement at Gamescom 2026 Opening Night Live, CD Projekt Red finally confirmed what many fans had been hoping for: The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is coming to Nintendo Switch 2 in the form of a stunning remaster. The beloved open-world RPG will arrive on Nintendo’s latest hybrid console alongside the brand-new expansion, Songs of the Past, marking a significant moment for both the franchise and the platform. Perhaps most exciting for existing players, the remaster will be available as a free upgrade for those who already own the game on other platforms, continuing CD Projekt Red’s consumer-friendly approach to game updates.

The announcement comes as no surprise to industry watchers, following the successful launch of Cyberpunk 2077 on the Nintendo Switch 2 earlier this year. CD Projekt Red has demonstrated its commitment to bringing its flagship titles to Nintendo’s more powerful successor console, and The Witcher 3 represents one of the most logical choices in the studio’s catalog. Originally released in 2015, Wild Hunt has sold over 50 million copies worldwide, establishing itself as one of the most critically acclaimed and commercially successful RPGs ever created.

A Legacy of Excellence Returns

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is widely regarded as a masterpiece of modern gaming, having won numerous Game of the Year awards upon its initial release. The game follows Geralt of Rivia, a monster hunter known as a Witcher, as he searches for his adopted daughter Ciri while navigating a war-torn fantasy world. The Complete Edition, which includes the critically acclaimed expansions Hearts of Stone and Blood and Wine, was previously released on the original Nintendo Switch in 2019, showcasing the technical wizardry of developer Saber Interactive in porting such a demanding title to handheld hardware. However, with the addition of Songs of the Past, that collection will no longer be truly complete, giving players even more reason to return to the Continent.

The original Switch port, while technically impressive for its time, required significant visual compromises to run on the handheld device. Players experienced lower resolution textures, reduced draw distances, and frame rate limitations that, while acceptable, fell short of the experience available on more powerful platforms. The Nintendo Switch 2’s enhanced hardware capabilities promise to deliver a dramatically improved experience, potentially matching or approaching the visual fidelity of the current-generation console versions that received significant updates in 2022.

Songs of the Past: A New Chapter Awaits

The Songs of the Past expansion represents the first major new content for The Witcher 3 in nearly a decade, following the Blood and Wine expansion released in 2016. While CD Projekt Red has kept specific details under wraps, the announcement has generated enormous excitement among the game’s devoted fanbase. The opportunity to reunite with beloved characters such as the sorceresses Yennefer and Triss, along with Geralt’s adopted daughter Ciri, has fans eagerly anticipating what new adventures await. Given CD Projekt Red’s track record with expansions, particularly the exceptional Blood and Wine which rivaled many full games in scope and quality, expectations for Songs of the Past are understandably high.

This release also serves as a strategic move ahead of The Witcher 4, which CD Projekt Red has confirmed is currently in development. By bringing The Witcher 3 to the Switch 2 with new content, the studio is effectively keeping the franchise fresh in players’ minds while potentially introducing Geralt’s adventures to a new generation of gamers. The success of this port could also signal that The Witcher 4 might launch simultaneously across all major platforms, including the Nintendo Switch 2, a possibility that would represent a significant shift in Nintendo’s position within the multiplatform gaming landscape.

Nintendo’s Growing Third-Party Support

The confirmation of The Witcher 3 for Switch 2 underscores Nintendo’s increasingly strong relationships with major third-party publishers. The original Switch, despite its hardware limitations, became home to numerous ambitious ports that many thought impossible. With the Switch 2’s more capable specifications, the barrier between Nintendo’s platform and its competitors has narrowed considerably. This development benefits not only Nintendo and its partners but ultimately the players, who gain unprecedented flexibility in how and where they experience their favorite games. As the gaming industry continues to evolve, the lines between home console and portable gaming continue to blur, and The Witcher 3’s arrival on Switch 2 represents another step toward a truly platform-agnostic future.