More than a decade after its original release, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is getting another major overhaul. CD Projekt RED has detailed the new Remastered version, bringing substantial visual improvements, a redesigned skill system, new animations, Path Tracing, cross-platform mod support and a long list of gameplay upgrades.
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt – Remastered launched today for PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S and Nintendo Switch 2.
Better yet, existing players will not have to buy the game again. Anyone who already owns a physical or digital copy of The Witcher 3 will be able to upgrade to the Remastered version for free within the same platform ecosystem.
And despite the name, this is clearly much more than a simple texture upgrade.
Geralt's world is getting a major visual overhaul
CD Projekt RED has reworked a significant portion of the game's rendering technology, introducing an improved shading model, enhanced lighting for grass and foliage, new visual effects for Signs and abilities, and better terrain and material rendering.
Several textures and models have also been updated using assets based on the popular The Witcher 3 HD Reworked Project, one of the most well-known visual mods ever created for the game.
The Remastered version also introduces native DirectX 12 rendering with multithreading, updated tone mapping, improved Screen Space Reflections and shadows, Ray-Traced Local Shadows, enhanced HDR calibration and a new Image-Based Lighting system.
On PC, things go even further. The game now supports Path Tracing, NVIDIA DLSS 4.5 with Ray Reconstruction, AMD FSR 4 with Frame Generation and Anti-Lag 2, as well as Intel XeSS 2.0 with Frame Generation and Low Latency.
CD Projekt RED has even added Ray-Traced HairWorks to improve lighting and shading on hair.
The skill system has been significantly redesigned
One of the biggest gameplay changes comes to Geralt's abilities.
Skills are now organized into a proper skill tree, with each skill featuring three ranks. Unlocking new abilities now requires the necessary prerequisite skills instead of simply spending a specific number of skill points.
CD Projekt RED has also rebalanced skill bonuses, effects and synergies across the tree.
Because of these changes, all existing skill points will be reset when players move to the Remastered version, meaning returning players will have to rebuild Geralt's setup.
Another new feature is the Reforge system, which allows players to change the appearance of equipment without affecting its stats.
Only master craftsmen Yoana and Hattori can provide the service, while new appearances are unlocked by collecting equipment and crafting diagrams.
Geralt — and Roach — should finally feel better to control
CD Projekt RED has also spent time improving an area that has occasionally frustrated players over the years: movement. Geralt now has refined jumping, climbing, vaulting and ledge animations, along with new finishers and idle animations. His movement during combat has also been improved, with smoother gap-closing animations and better target-lock switching.
A new exploration camera offers a wider field of view, while a dynamic combat camera should provide better visibility during fights.
Roach has received some attention as well, including improved collision avoidance and updated mounting, dismounting, cantering and galloping animations.
And there is one small but very welcome quality-of-life improvement: players can now collect loot without dismounting Roach.
Cross-platform mods could be one of the biggest long-term additions
Perhaps one of the most important additions for the future of The Witcher 3 is Cross Platform Mod Support. CD Projekt RED has integrated mod.io directly into the game, allowing players to browse and install community-created mods through the main menu.
The studio has also introduced several engine, interface and workflow improvements to REDkit, making it easier for modders to create and manage custom content.
Considering how active The Witcher 3's modding community remains more than a decade after launch, this could significantly extend the game's lifespan once again.
PS5 Pro targets up to 90 FPS, while Switch 2 gets its own set of features
The Remastered edition also includes several platform-specific improvements. PlayStation 5 receives multithreaded rendering for better performance, while PlayStation 5 Pro gains support for PSSR, Variable Refresh Rate and uncapped frame rates. The updated Ray Tracing Mode now targets 60 FPS, while Performance Mode on PS5 Pro can reach up to 90 FPS on VRR-compatible displays.
Nintendo Switch 2 receives an even more distinctive set of features. The game supports several control styles, motion controls, gyro aiming, touchscreen input in menus, dialogue, the world map, Gwent and Photo Mode, as well as Joy-Con 2 HD Rumble. Switch 2 players also get VRR support in handheld mode and HDR.
Accessibility and quality-of-life improvements are getting plenty of attention too
The Remastered version introduces a dedicated Accessibility section and a new Bard's Ballad preset designed to reduce cognitive load and make the game easier to follow for players who experience mental fatigue or difficulty concentrating.
Its settings can enable features such as faster Vitality regeneration, infinite breath while swimming, unlimited equipment durability, indestructible boats, ignored inventory weight and faster sailing.
Elsewhere, CD Projekt RED has streamlined tutorials, improved quest notifications, reorganized the map and introduced better loot management.
Nearby items can now be grouped into a single loot window, while a new loot feed displays recently collected items on screen.
Much more than a traditional remaster
Taken together, the changes make The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt – Remastered look far more ambitious than a conventional graphical refresh.
The upgraded rendering technology alone would have made for a significant update, but CD Projekt RED is also revisiting combat, movement, skills, accessibility, modding, Photo Mode and numerous small systems that players interact with constantly.
And with existing owners receiving the upgrade for free, there may be no better excuse to step onto the Path once again.
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