The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Remastered will make extensive changes to the base game, according to the patch notes posted by CD Projekt Red. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Remastered will simultaneously launch across the world on Tuesday, September 29, on all supported platforms.
Following the reveal of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Remastered at Gamescom 2026, CD Projekt Red revealed that players need not restart their journey to enjoy all that the update has to offer. The developer confirmed that all save files from previous versions of The Witcher 3 will carry over to the remaster, including cross-progression save files stored in GOG’s cloud servers. CD Projekt Red stated that this save data perk will also extend to users upgrading from the original Switch version of The Witcher 3 to the Switch 2 port of the remaster.
The Witcher 3 Remastered Reveals How Much the Game Will Change
One day before The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Remastered‘s arrival, CD Projekt Red posted a comprehensive list of what players can expect after updating the game. The Witcher 3‘s 5.0 update will require at least 45 GB of storage space on most platforms, though the Nintendo Switch 2 version will need at least 50 GB of available space due to it being a new port instead. The 5.0 update will add an improved shading model that will change how things look across the game. Updated visuals for Geralt’s abilities and Signs will also be included, along with native DirectX 12 rendering to offer improved performance and visuals.
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On the gameplay side, The Witcher 3 Remastered will completely rework the game’s skill tree system. To unlock specific skills, players must instead acquire prerequisite traits rather than spend a fixed amount of points within a skill tree. Ergo, all skill points will be refunded, allowing players to customize Geralt’s skills and abilities to their liking. Additional changes were also made to the combat behavior of common monsters found throughout the world. Plus, movement improvements were made to both Geralt and his trusty steed, Roach. However, for players who enjoyed the erratic behavior and movement patterns that Geralt’s horse is known for, the developers included an option to bring back Roach’s glitchy mannerisms.
While the new update will be playable on all current-gen consoles, PC players will have some new specifications to bear in mind. The Witcher 3 Remastered will include Path Tracing for high-end PCs to utilize. However, the new technology will require some expensive PC components to activate, such as the AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D processor and at least 24 GB of RAM. Path tracing can only be enabled if an Nvidia GeForce RTX graphics card, such as the RTX 5080 or the flagship RTX 5090, is installed. However, users with a recent graphics card, such as the Intel Arc B580 or the AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT, can still enable ray tracing and upscaling technologies.
Although The Witcher 3 Remastered will also be playable on Steam Deck, users will have to make some graphical adjustments to play the game at a reasonable frame rate. Given the extensive list of changes coming in The Witcher 3‘s 5.0 update, it remains to be seen how the game’s performance will be affected.
The Witcher 3 Patch 5.0 Notes (September 28, 2026)
Visual and Rendering
- Implemented an improved shading model.
- Updated multiple textures and models based on assets from The Witcher 3 HD Reworked Project.
- Improved lighting and shading for grass and foliage.
- Updated the visual effects of Signs, including their upgrade versions.
- Added new visual effects for skills.
- The game now features native DirectX 12 rendering with multithreading for better performance and visuals.
- Updated tone mapping for improved colors, lighting, contrast and detail.
- Added GTAO (Ground Truth Ambient Occlusion) as a new Screen Space Ambient Occlusion option.
- Updated the HDR calibration panel by adding new options and other improvements.
- Added Ray-Traced HairWorks for improved lighting and shading on hair.
- Improved Motion Blur with a higher-quality, more cinematic look.
- Updated Subsurface Scattering for more natural skin rendering.
- Improved terrain and material rendering for more natural lighting, shadows, reflections, and highlights.
- Implemented new Image-Based Lighting (IBL) for improved ambient lighting and reflections across different environments.
- Reworked Bloom for more improved lighting effects across different environments.
Gameplay
- Improved the skill system. Skills are now organized into a skill tree and each skill has three ranks. Unlocking new skills now requires having the necessary prerequisite skills rather than spending a set number of skill points. IMPORTANT: As a result of these changes, your skill points have been reset.
- Rebalanced the skill tree by refining skill bonus values, effects and synergies.
- Renamed some skills to better reflect their effects.
- You can now Reforge your equipment to change its appearance without affecting its stats. Only master craftsmen (Yoana and Hattori) offer this service. Unlock appearances by adding new equipment and crafting diagrams to your inventory. Dyes from Blood and Wine applied to equipment will carry over to the reforged item.
- Polished the combat behavior of all non-boss monsters, including their attack patterns, counterattacks, movement, reactions, flight and the application of effects.
- Cantering and galloping now requires pressing the button instead of holding it.
- Added a new “Horse control input sensitivity” slider in Settings → Controls.
- Improved Roach’s and Geralt’s movement, player control and animations:
- Refined Geralt’s jumping animation so that it feels more natural and polished. Note: This doesn’t affect jump distance and height.
- Added new finisher animations for Geralt.
- Added new idle animations for Geralt.
- Improved Geralt’s ledge climbing, ladder climbing and vaulting animations as well as his speed for more responsive, fluid movement.
- Improved Geralt’s gap closing animations in combat for smoother gameplay.
- Improved target-lock switching when moving the camera in combat.
- Polished animations for mounting and dismounting Roach, as well as cantering and galloping.
UI/UX
- Meditation now features a timelapse instead of a UI screen for a more immersive feel.
- The skill screen is now reorganized into a more intuitive skill tree layout.
- Updated the map screen to make switching between tracked quests easier. Untracked quests now have a distinct marker and can be tracked by selecting it.
- You can now hide herbs, boats and corpses on the minimap in Settings → Video → Interface for a cleaner, less distracting view.
- Improved quest notifications by combining quest updates into a single HUD notification.
- Nearby loot can now be grouped into a single window, so you no longer need to browse through multiple loot windows. You can enable this feature in Settings → Gameplay.
- Added a loot feed that displays recently collected items on the left side of the screen. You can disable it in Settings → Gameplay.
- Added item tooltips to the loot window, allowing you to preview an item’s details before picking it up.
- Renamed the “HUD Configuration” section in Settings to “Interface”.
- Updated the CD PROJEKT RED Account connection, My Rewards and telemetry consent menus.
Photo Mode
- Updated the Photo Mode UI and vastly expanded its features and options:
- You can now choose from multiple different characters to place in your shot.
- Added a selection of poses and expressions for Geralt and placeable characters.
- Added a Look-at dropdown, allowing you to choose where Geralt and placeable characters direct their gaze.
- You can now place lights and adjust their brightness, color, angles and more.
- Added a confirmation prompt before exiting Photo Mode to help prevent accidental exits.
- You can now lock the camera position in Photo Mode to make sure you capture the perfect shot.
- Added the option to apply different environment presets to your scene.
- Added the option to save camera presets, allowing you to save and reuse camera positions and angles.
- You can now change the aspect ratio of your screenshot.
- Added the option to toggle a first-person camera mode so you can see the world through Geralt’s eyes.
- You can now enable or disable camera collisions with objects and walls.
- Set the perfect scene by changing the weather and time of day.
- Adjust the intensity of weather effects like rain or storms.
- Added an option to toggle Rule of Thirds lines in various aspect ratios, with optional cinematic black bars.
- Camera coordinates will now be visible in the UI.
- Added an option to hide surrounding NPCs.
- Added placeable props, giving you even more ways to create the perfect scene. Just don’t ask where they all came from.
- The cursor is now visible in Photo Mode on PC when using a mouse.
Accessibility
- Added a new Accessibility section to the Settings menu. Moved existing accessibility-related options there.
- Added Ukrainian text localization.
- Added the Bard’s Ballad preset. You can enable it when starting a new game on the Just the Story difficulty or during the game in the Accessibility section. It is designed to reduce cognitive load for players who experience mental fatigue or have difficulty concentrating. It streamlines gameplay by simplifying certain mechanics and disabling select features for a smoother, more focused adventure. You can enable the preset in the Accessibility tab and customize it by enabling or disabling the following options:
- Vitality Regeneration Boost – Gives the possibility to adjust its activation threshold (“Activates below (%) Vitality”) and the rate at which Vitality increases (“Regeneration Intensity”).
- Infinite Breath – Geralt can’t run out of oxygen while swimming and diving.
- Unlimited Item Durability – Your gear will never wear down, so there’s no need to visit craftsmen for repairs.
- Unlimited Boat Durability – Boats are indestructible, making jagged rocks and sirens no longer a concern.
- Ignore Item Weight – Travel the Path carrying as much as you want.
- Faster Boats – Sail faster across the seas. The seas around Skellige just got a little bit smaller.
- Toggle Witcher Sense – Toggle on and off without having to hold the button.
Quality of Life
- Streamlined tutorials to keep them concise and focused on teaching core game mechanics. We think Vesemir would approve.
- Added an option to quickly disengage from combat. Hold the dodge button (Alt/〇/B) to unlock from your target, then press the sprint button (L Shift/X/A) to run away.
- You can now collect loot without dismounting Roach.
Modding
- Added Cross Platform Mod Support, an in-game tool powered by mod.io that allows you to easily browse and install player-created mods to customize your game. You can find it in the game’s main menu in Mods. Log in with your CD PROJEKT RED Account, connect it to mod.io and start browsing. You can find more information about the Mod Manager here.
- Various engine, UI and other improvements for REDkit, making it easier for modders to create, manage and customize their content.
Fixes
- Fixed an issue where it wasn’t possible to change Right Stick Sensitivity if the settings were accessed directly from the main menu.
- It’s now possible to set Stick Sensitivity to the value of 0.69.
- Fixed an issue where HDR settings would sometimes not appear on consoles.
- In the Eternal Fire’s Shadow – Fixed an issue where the Forgotten Wolf School Gear Diagrams weren’t displayed in the UI after being received as a reward.
- Wine is Sacred – Fixed an issue where fast traveling out of Toussaint during the “Search the wine cellar with Anna Henrietta” objective could block quest progression. This fix is not retroactive, so players who encountered this issue will need to load a save from before it occurred.
PC-specific
IMPORTANT: Make sure you have the latest graphics drivers installed.
- Added support for Path Tracing.
- Added support for NVIDIA DLSS 4.5, together with Ray Reconstruction.
- Added support for AMD FSR 4, including Frame Generation and Anti-Lag 2. FSR 4 is supported on AMD Radeon RX 7000 Series and newer graphics cards. On unsupported GPUs, the game will use FSR 2 instead.
- Added support for Intel XeSS 2.0, together with Frame Generation and Low Latency.
- Added support for DualSense controller haptic feedback.
- IMPORTANT: With the improvements introduced throughout The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt – Remastered, the system requirements for the game have changed.
Console-specific
- Added support for PlayStation 5 Pro.
- Added support for Xbox Play Anywhere.
- Implemented multithreaded rendering on PlayStation 5 for improved performance.
Nintendo Switch 2-specific
- Added support for Nintendo Switch 2, with the following Switch 2-specific features:
- 4 playstyles: Handheld, Pro Controller, Dual Grip (using Motion Controls) and Mouse Sensor.
- Motion Control Patterns in two modes (Always Enabled or Horse Only) for gameplay actions such as: using primary and secondary consumables, calling your horse, casting signs, using your crossbow, throwing bombs and making your horse gallop or stop.
- Mouse Sensor in two modes: Always Enabled or Dynamic, supporting 3 different control schemes: Comfort, Dynamic and Default.
- Aiming with Gyroscope Mode is supported in Handheld, Pro Controller and Dual Grip playstyles with two modes: Always Enabled and Ranged Weapons.
- Touch Screen input is supported in menus, dialogue, world map, Gwent and Photo Mode.
- Joy-Con 2 HD Rumble, delivering more varied and immersive vibration feedback.
- VRR (Variable Refresh Rate) and HDR (High Dynamic Range) support.
- Dedicated Motion Controls tutorial, which can be replayed at any time from the Main Menu and Pause Menu.
- Released
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September 29, 2026
- ESRB
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Mature 17+ / Blood and Gore, Crude Humor, Intense Violence, Nudity, Sexual Content, Strong Language, Use of Drugs and Alcohol
