It’s been rumoured for a while now and I still didn’t quite believe it when it was officially announced by CD Projekt Red, but one of my all-time favorite RPGs is getting a brand-new expansion 12 years after it was originally released.
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt will be receiving a new expansion pack, titled Songs of the Past – co-developed alongside Fool’s Theory and releasing on current systems in 2027. The third main DLC for the game after Hearts of Stone and Blood and Wine, which were both fantastic in their own right, could be a test for CD Projekt as they have announced that they are working on a new Cyberpunk game as well as The Witcher 4 and remakes of the first two instalments, so will need the extra help as they are spread a bit thin.
A Swan Song for a beloved RPG
I could see the new DLC focusing around the main protagonist of The Witcher 4 – Ciri, as she fully takes up the mantle of a witcher, canonising the ending of the game and setting up the sequel, however the title “Songs of the Past” also suggests that Geralt may instead be diving into his own murky past or coming face to face with his own demons in some way (I do love the way Blood and Wine ends though so they’ve got a decent challenge to pull off). It will be interesting to see how it all ties into the game regardless, and it’s safe to say that I will be tossing a coin to CD Projekt as I can’t wait to get to play more of one of my all-time favourite games.
The only thing it does seemingly confirm though, is that the current games in development are further away than most people would like, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing as the developers should take the time needed to properly craft incredible games. They don’t want a repeat of the last time something was rushed out, as it took years for it to get to the level we now expect from the studio.
I’m looking forward to seeing what the DLC brings and adds to the overall experience of what I already consider to be a 10 out of 10. Exploring new areas such as Toussaint in Blood and Wine was jaw-dropping at the time (it’s been ten years already!), but in the below tease we can see that we’re heading to Kovir (and it looks absolutely stunning) in the next instalment, so it’s most likely not going to be set there. Anyway, here’s some Witcher 4 gameplay to wet the appetite in the meantime:
Though the new expansion is still a year out, more details are to follow in the coming months, and it will surely put us all on until the next main game is released, be that on current, next-gen or both.
Please, please, please CD Projekt, please let us play more than one NG+ playthrough with this new update, as many players will want to use their current saves on the newer hardware when the expansion comes out next year.