CD Projekt Red has officially confirmed the existence of a third major story expansion for The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. Titled « Songs of the Past, » the upcoming DLC is scheduled to launch in 2027, marking a staggering twelve years since the base game first captivated audiences in 2015. The announcement, made on May 27, 2026, ends years of persistent industry rumors and represents an unprecedented move in modern AAA game development. Releasing a massive narrative add-on over a decade after the original launch defies the typical lifecycle of a single-player RPG. The base game has sold over 60 million copies, establishing it as one of the most successful role-playing games in history and providing a massive installed base for the new content.
A Twelve-Year Gap and Sixty Million Sales
The timeline for « Songs of the Past » is historically significant. The previous expansion, Blood and Wine, launched in 2016. Releasing a new narrative addition in 2027 creates an eleven-year gap between DLC packs. Very few publishers invest in single-player RPG expansions so long after a game’s initial lifecycle. Most studios pivot entirely to sequels or new intellectual properties. However, The Witcher 3 is not a standard release. As reported by IGN, the title has surpassed 60 million units sold. This enduring commercial momentum explains why CD Projekt Red would allocate development resources to a twelve-year-old game rather than focusing solely on future projects.
According to Beebom, this marks the third major story expansion for the celebrated RPG. While Hearts of Stone and Blood and Wine rounded out Geralt’s storyline, the title « Songs of the Past » suggests a shift in perspective or timeline. The longevity of The Witcher 3 has outpaced its own sequel plans. The next mainline entry, currently known as Project Polaris, remains in early development phases. This expansion bridges the gap between the studio’s current capabilities and the long wait for a new generation of Witcher adventures. In an industry where games are frequently abandoned after two years, supporting a title for twelve years sets a new benchmark for post-launch support.
Platforms and the Conspicuous Absence of the Switch
« Songs of the Past » is confirmed for PlayStation 5, Windows PC, and Xbox Series X/S. As detailed by Polygon, the expansion will leverage the current-generation console hardware, which previously received a dedicated next-gen update for the base game. Conspicuously absent from the platform list is the Nintendo Switch.
The Switch version of The Witcher 3 was widely praised as a technical marvel, bringing the massive RPG to a handheld device. Yet, the upcoming DLC will bypass the platform entirely. As noted by My Nintendo News, « Songs of the Past » is officially not coming to the Switch. The decision likely stems from the technical limitations of the aging Switch hardware, which struggled with the base game’s performance, and the impending transition to Nintendo’s next-generation console. The 2017 portable console simply cannot handle the upgraded visual and computational demands of a newly developed expansion. CD Projekt Red appears focused on delivering a high-fidelity experience that capitalizes on the modern hardware capabilities of the PS5 and Xbox Series X/S, leaving the Switch behind as the platform enters the twilight of its lifecycle.
Prequel Rumors Surround ‘Songs of the Past’
While CD Projekt Red has kept narrative details tightly under wraps, the title alone has sparked significant speculation regarding the expansion’s storyline. As reported by Dualshockers, « Songs of the Past » might function as a prequel. The base game and its initial expansions pushed Geralt’s story toward a definitive conclusion. A prequel narrative would circumvent the canonical endings established in Blood and Wine, allowing the studio to explore previously unexplored chapters of Geralt’s century-spanning career.
A prequel setting also aligns perfectly with the word « Past » in the title. It opens the door to exploring events only referenced in the original game, such as Geralt’s time on the Path before the Wild Hunt’s pursuit of Ciri, or his earlier encounters with key figures like Yennefer and Dandelion. The Witcher universe is rich with lore that spans decades of Geralt’s life as a monster hunter. By shifting the timeline backward, the writers avoid the narrative trap of invalidating player choices from the 2015 base game. Fans spent hundreds of hours making critical decisions that shaped the political landscape of the Continent and the personal lives of its characters. A prequel preserves that agency, ensuring the endings players worked toward remain intact.
The Strategic Logic of Revisiting The Witcher 3
Investing in a 2027 expansion for a 2015 game is a calculated business strategy. CD Projekt Red has experienced a turbulent development cycle following the launch of Cyberpunk 2077. Returning to The Witcher 3 offers a lower-risk environment to rebuild goodwill and generate steady revenue while the studio navigates the complex development of Project Polaris. The 60 million strong player base provides a massive monetization opportunity that requires a fraction of the marketing budget needed for a brand-new intellectual property.
Furthermore, the 2027 release window positions the DLC alongside the expected maturation of the current console generation. Players who have exhausted the base game’s content will have a tangible reason to revisit the Continent. As noted by the official announcement short on YouTube, the confirmation of « Songs of the Past » solidifies CD Projekt Red’s commitment to the franchise that built its global reputation. The decision ensures that the world of The Witcher remains commercially active, sustaining fan engagement until the next full sequel is ready to take the mantle. Developing content for an existing engine with established mechanics is significantly faster and cheaper than building an entirely new game from the ground up. This allows the studio to maintain a steady cadence of releases without subjecting its workforce to the extreme crunch conditions that marred the launches of previous titles.
