I’ve been in a lot of rooms to see a lot of games, but sitting in a theater to watch footage of The Witcher 3’s Songs of the Past expansion for the first time provided me with an experience I’ve not come across before – live nostalgia.
As members of the Fool’s Theory dev team – who are co-developing the expansion with CD Projekt Red – guided Geralt through the new region of Letten, they made sure to stop off and reintroduce us to Roach, his ever-present steed. And, as they did, the assembled crowd let out not-quite-a-gasp, not-quite-an-ooh, but a noise that communicated some kind of shared, “There they are!”
I can’t deny that I felt it too – after a decade, there’s something distinct and practically unique about the feeling of returning to The Continent in this way. The combination of it being the same game (albeit in fresh Remastered clothing), and yet a brand new quest in a brand new location gives the sense of a true check-in – visiting old friends and, just maybe, stopping a monstrous threat along the way.
Set in Letten – the homeland of series mainstay (and narrator) Dandelion – Geralt is tasked with investigating his friend’s fractured aristocratic family, and a dangerous mystery in their past, centered around the threatening Garden of Thorns. I saw around 45 minutes from its early stages, and it’s hard to tell exactly how high the stakes are here on a global scale, but the impression I get is that Songs of the Past is more concerned with investigating the stories of its characters than the world of The Witcher as a whole.
And yet despite that, Letten emerges as the true star of the show here. A new region inspired by both English and Polish rural regions, set outside of the constantly war-torn countries we’ve visited previously, it’s initially a ray of sunshine. Geralt awakes at dawn on a hilltop after a raucous party, and is met by the sight of a placid lake, complete with touring sailboats, surrounded by bucolic rolling countryside and ringed with mountains in the far distance.
Fool’s Theory call Letten a “fully realized open world” in its own right, and has even upgraded NPC systems to allow for a region where the characters around you behave more believably, giving Letten as a whole the sense of a bustling, happy location. That is until you find Dandelion missing, begin to unravel his unhappy family history, and visit the Garden of Thorns itself.
As I see Geralt and Dandelion’s cousin, Lilla travel to investigate, the world changes almost imperceptibly around them. The trees get tighter, more misshapen. We see the remnants of human settlements laying overgrown, pierced by foliage. The light fades. Suddenly, Letten doesn’t seem quite as inviting.
And that’s before it starts trying to kill them. New enemies include Thornblooms – vicious flowers that make up for their inability to move by flailing wildly – and Swarmion – humanoid enemies boasting shields made up of hornets. Geralt himself has seen an upgrade, too, now able to equip a hooked chain as a ranged weapon, drawing enemies up close to make melee faster and more efficient than ever.
And it’s in that combination of new and old that Songs of the Past is already speaking to me – this feels far more than a way to get us reacquainted with the world of The Witcher ahead of a sequel. It’s a meaningful addition to an already beloved story – it already feels good to be back.
The Witcher 3: Songs of the Past arrives in 2027 for XBOX Series X|S. A full remaster, free to anyone who owns the original game, will be released on September 29, 2026.
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt — Songs of the Past
CD PROJEKT RED S.A.
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt — one of the best-selling and most critically acclaimed role-playing games of all time — returns with a brand-new expansion. Songs of the Past sees legendary monster slayer Geralt of Rivia travel to Letten, an idyllic land on the surface but with a dark secret hiding below. Equipped with unique mutagens and a new weapon, the chain, Geralt must overcome never-before-seen foes as he fights to overcome a long-dormant evil. More than his life is at stake though; across a story filled with choices and consequences, the fate of the entire land, and even Geralt’s closest friendship, are also at risk.
Geralt of Rivia Returns — Famed monster slayer Geralt of Rivia returns to the Path for another adventure, equipped with unique mutagens and a new weapon to master.
Explore a New Region — The idyllic land of Letten is full of stories to discover and secrets to uncover, including something sinister at its very core.
Experience Epic Quests — Dozens of new quests, points of interest, and more await as one of the best-selling RPGs of all time gets hours of new content.
Uncover a Supernatural Mystery — Unfurl an authentic Witcher story full of choices and consequences as Geralt fights to uncover a dark curse at Letten’s center.
Discover Remastered Content — Enjoy updated gameplay, visual fidelity, performance, character progression, and more through The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt — Remastered.
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
CD PROJEKT S.A.
ABOUT THE GAME
You are Geralt of Rivia, mercenary monster slayer. Before you stands a war-torn, monster-infested continent you can explore at will. Your current contract? Tracking down Ciri — the Child of Prophecy, a living weapon that can alter the shape of the world.
Updated to the latest version, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt comes with new items including swords, armor, and alternate outfits inspired by The Witcher Netflix series — and more!
UPDATED FOR XBOX SERIES X|S
Behold the dark fantasy world of the Continent like never before! The Xbox Series X|S version of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt has been enhanced with numerous visual and technical improvements, including vastly improved level of detail, faster loading times, a range of community created and newly developed mods for the game, real-time ray tracing, and more — all implemented with the power of the new consoles in mind — as well as a built-in Photo Mode.
PLAY AS A HIGHLY TRAINED MONSTER SLAYER FOR HIRE
Trained from early childhood and mutated to gain superhuman skills, strength, and reflexes, witchers are a counterbalance to the monster-infested world in which they live.
• Gruesomely destroy foes as a professional monster hunter armed with a range of upgradeable weapons, mutating potions, and combat magic.
• Hunt down a wide variety of exotic monsters, from savage beasts prowling mountain passes to cunning supernatural predators lurking in the shadowy back alleys of densely populated cities.
• Invest your rewards to upgrade your weaponry and buy custom armor, or spend them on horse races, card games, fist fighting, and other pleasures life brings.
EXPLORE A MORALLY AMBIGUOUS FANTASY OPEN WORLD
Built for endless adventure, the massive open world of The Witcher sets new standards in terms of size, depth, and complexity.
• Traverse a fantastical open world: explore forgotten ruins, caves, and shipwrecks, trade with merchants and dwarven smiths in cities, and hunt across the open plains, mountains, and seas.
• Deal with treasonous generals, devious witches, and corrupt royalty to provide dark and dangerous services.
• Make choices that go beyond good & evil, and face their far-reaching consequences.
TRACK DOWN THE CHILD OF PROPHECY
Take on the most important contract of your life: to track down the child of prophecy, the key to saving or destroying this world.
• In times of war, chase down the child of prophecy, a living weapon foretold by ancient elven legends.
• Struggle against ferocious rulers, spirits of the wilds, and even a threat from beyond the veil – all hell-bent on controlling this world.
• Define your destiny in a world that may not be worth saving.
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