Is Witcher 3 Remastered a free upgrade?

Yes, for existing owners on qualifying platforms. Hearts of Stone and Blood and Wine are included free.

Did the story change?

A third-party check found no quests, contracts or Gwent cards added or removed.

What is the Metacritic score?

VGC reported 94 on launch day. Scores can change, and the platform was not specified.

Witcher 3 Remastered: What Changed, Patch 5.00 and Score

CD PROJEKT RED released The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Remastered on September 29, 2026. It was announced at gamescom on August 25, 2026, and replaces the Complete Edition on supported platforms. Here is what the official announcements and early coverage say.

Key takeaways

It is a free upgrade for owners, and both expansions are included.
It launched on PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S and a native Nintendo Switch 2 version.
It adds better visuals, path tracing on PC, a reworked skill tree and an accessibility preset.
A third-party check says no quests, contracts or Gwent cards were added or removed.

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Remastered – Official Launch Trailer · YouTube

What is new

Visuals: improved textures, foliage, lighting and ray tracing, path tracing on PC, and upscalers DLSS 4.5, FSR 4 and XeSS 2.0. PS5 Pro gets PSSR.
Skill tree: reworked, with three ranks per skill and prerequisites. Skill points are reset, so you rebuild Geralt.
Gear: reforging only changes an item's appearance, with Yoana and Hattori.
Combat and UI: a new combat camera, finishers, a grouped loot window and an expanded photo mode.
Accessibility: a "Bard's Ballad" preset with options such as infinite breath and unlimited item durability.
Mods: an in-game mod browser via mod.io.

Patches and reception

The build is version 5.00, up from 4.04, according to Game Checklists. Patch 5.00b on October 1 fixed missing DLSS on the PC Xbox Play Anywhere version and brightened interiors that were too dark, and a separate hotfix was planned for a save-game bug. VGC reported a Metacritic score of 94 on launch day. The launch also drew performance criticism, and CD PROJEKT RED says it will keep patching.

Twitch Drops

Gfinity reported Twitch Drops for a Fire Horse Gear Set for Roach, for watching participating streams for 90 minutes between September 29 and October 27. We could not confirm this on CD PROJEKT RED's own site, so check there first.

Who it is for

Returning players will enjoy the visuals and the new camera; new players get the full game and both expansions in one place. Read our beginner guide if it is your first time.