With The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Remastered release on 29 September 2026, players can once again step into Geralt’s shoes and explore the Continent, with an array of improvements from the over the 2022 version. For returning players, however, one important decision is whether to continue from an old save, start again from White Orchard, or jump into New Game Plus.
The remastered version doesn’t mean that you have to start right at the beginning, because The Witcher 3: Remastered actually allows you to carry over existing saves. CD Projekt Red explicitly confirms existing saves are compatible, which is a sigh of relief for those who have spent up to hundreds of hours in the game. You can take your already established Geralt into a brand new playthrough, or you can continue from where you left off. Either way, being able to keep my gear, progress, and choices is a welcome feature from CD Projekt Red, and is one of the reasons I think the game has hit a record with 120,975 concurrent Steam players.
What You Can Bring Back to The Continent
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Image via CDPR -
Image via CD Projekt Red -
Before you decide to jump back to the Continent, it’s worth looking at exactly what you can carry over with you to The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Remastered. I think it’s great that you have the option, especially as not everybody likes the idea of restarting all over again. However, you should note that you don’t get exactly the same gameplay experience you had before, and even though the save is preserved, you might need to reconsider the way you use Geralt around the new skill system.
As far as what stays the same when you carry over your save goes, your quest progress stays intact, so you can continue from wherever you left Geralt rather than replaying your story. I have chosen to start again from White Orchard, but for those who want the new game mechanics for their current quest, this is particularly useful for you. Your choices and world state will also stay intact, so it won’t create a new version of your character’s history. Inventory, level, achievements and trophies are also carried over, as confirmed by CD Projekt Red.
Being able to keep my gear, progress, and choices is a welcome feature from CD Projekt Red, and is one of the reasons I think the game has hit a record with 120,975 concurrent Steam players.
Skills are another story, however, because The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Remastered completely overhauls the skill system. The skill tree still has four broad categories: Combat, Signs, Alchemy, and General, but there have been a few reworks and expansions made. Cd Projekt Red says that the update adds new perks as well as reworking existing ones, so don’t worry too much if you are used to The Witcher 3‘s original skill functions. The important thing to remember is that your old save doesn’t lose your skill points, but your previously chosen abilities are reset. These points then become available for you to spend on this redesigned collection of Combat, Sign, Alchemy, and General abilities.
When I say game mechanics, it’s not in the sense that The Witcher 3 is becoming a fundamentally different game. The core mechanics stay the same, but the redesigned skill system gives me a reason to rethink how I play Geralt.
Keeping Geralt’s History Matters
An old save ultimately lets you return to a version of The Witcher 3 that already has history for you. If your Geralt has already made choices, completed quests, acquired gear, and shaped the world, carrying over an old save might be one of the main reasons to jump into The Witcher 3 Remastered. This essentially means that even though your existing choices and world state remain, you can still enjoy the upgraded presentation. I personally relished (after upgrading my graphics drivers and restarting my PC several times) the remaster’s improved visuals, lighting, animation, audio, and immersion-focused details. And I have to admit, Geralt’s hair is now even more enviable, thanks to the Ray-Traced HairWorks, which CD Projekt Red has specifically listed as a PC feature. And by returning to an old save, you can see a familiar Geralt and familiar locations with these substantially improved lighting, hair, animations, and environmental details, without having to replay the entire opening just to experience those upgrades.
White Orchard Is a Fresh Start, But Old Saves Still Matter
I’ve already mentioned that I’ve chosen to restart from Geralt’s dream in White Orchard, which has given me a completely clean state. I can now learn the remaster’s redesigned skill system from the beginning, which is something I’ve enjoyed as part of rediscovering the game. I also feel like this lets me learn the new system naturally, and I get to see White Orchard, Geralt, Yennefer, Ciri, and the early game with the upgraded visuals. It feels like I’m giving the remastered version a chance from the beginning.
Guess the games from the emojis.
Guess the games from the emojis.
Easy (120s)Medium (90s)Hard (60s)
But for others who may have poured hundreds of hours into their old saves, I completely understand why keeping their progress matters, especially if their Geralt is highly developed. Game choices often reflect a part of us too, and that means a lot. Those choices represent hours of weighing moral choices, deciding which characters to trust and fundamentally shaping the kind of Geralt we want to play. The choices I make in-game might be crueler than my choices in real life, but it reflects what I would be doing if I, myself, was Geralt. Starting over from that can mean leaving behind a version of the story that feels like our own, which is why CD Projekt Red’s decision is well met amongst veteran players.
If you’ve already imported your old save into the Remastered version, I’m sure you have probably had the chance to appreciate just how much better the Continent looks. The redesigned skill system might feel weird at start, but having your old inventory and progress eases you into the new changes whilst giving you a chance to rethink the way you play Geralt. For me, it’s giving me something new to discover, which is important as we patiently wait for The Witcher 4 to release. And maybe some of these changes could offer a glimpse into how CD Projekt Red wants to approach progression in the next game.
- 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
