The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt has just received one of its biggest updates since its original release, with CD Projekt Red launching The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Remastered on September 29, and the requirements to keep the 10+-year-old game active have never been higher. The free Witcher 3 Remastered upgrade brings enhanced visuals and performance, improved combat, overhauled animations, cross-platform mod support, and other changes to the decade-old RPG. It also includes both Hearts of Stone and Blood and Wine for existing owners.
The timing is especially notable for PC players because The Witcher 3 Remastered comes with substantially higher system requirements than the original game. CD Projekt Red now lists 64-bit Windows 11 as the minimum operating system, alongside requirements for an SSD, DirectX 12, and at least 12GB of RAM. The updated requirements were introduced ahead of The Witcher 3 Remastered‘s release as CDPR prepared the game for its next major chapter.
The Witcher 3 Has Officially Abandoned Windows 10
Windows 10 is no longer an officially supported operating system for The Witcher 3. CD Projekt Red confirmed that it has already stopped testing both The Witcher 3 and Cyberpunk 2077 on Windows 10, meaning the company no longer guarantees that either game will work correctly on Microsoft’s older operating system. The change does not necessarily prevent the games from running on Windows 10, but it means CDPR will not officially support or test future versions on the platform. Anyone who cannot currently play The Witcher 3 Remastered will not be able to play The Witcher 3‘s 2027 Songs of the Past DLC, while how long The Witcher 3 can still run on the operating system is in question.
Find the odd one out before the timer hits zero.
Right now, The Witcher 3 Remastered can still run on Windows 10 despite these “requirements” (dating back to changes earlier this year). However, as with all operating systems, it’s going to take one update to make the software incompatible with the system. In other words, The Witcher 3 is one update away from being unplayable for millions of players, as PC is a huge audience for the game. Windows 10 is no longer tested or supported, so it’s only a matter of time.
Said timeline is harsh because The Witcher 3 is not finished receiving new content; if anything, The Witcher 3 Remastered was only the start of improved content. CD Projekt Red is developing Songs of the Past as the game’s third expansion, with the new adventure scheduled to launch in 2027. The expansion will return Geralt to the role of protagonist and introduce the new region of Letten, alongside new monsters, combat options, and the chain weapon. Since Songs of the Past is being developed as new content for The Witcher 3, it represents the next major test of the game’s Windows 10 compatibility (not to mention all the little updates between now and then).
For now, Windows 10 users can still play The Witcher 3, but future updates are where the situation could change. CD Projekt Red has already moved the game’s official PC requirements to Windows 11, and The Witcher 3 Remastered is now the company’s supported version going forward. Players who remain on Windows 10 may eventually have to decide whether upgrading their operating system is necessary to continue playing the latest version of Geralt’s adventure.
- Released
-
September 29, 2026
- ESRB
-
Mature 17+ / Blood and Gore, Crude Humor, Intense Violence, Nudity, Sexual Content, Strong Language, Use of Drugs and Alcohol
