The Witcher 3 gets ‘next gen’ upgrade in December

The upgraded version of The Witcher 3 will finally launch in December 2022, after a long delay.
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The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is set to get a major next gen upgrade on 14 December 2022, free to everyone who already owns a copy of the game. The highly-anticipated pack will add new features to the game including shinier graphics, ray tracing support, faster loading times, mod integration, and DLC inspired by the Henry Cavill-starring Netflix series.

Originally set to launch in 2021, the next gen upgrade wound up being pushed back several times as CD Projekt Red shifted its focus towards polishing Cyberpunk 2077, and developing other projects. Months went by with no news, leading many to assume the upgrade was stuck in development hell – but now, it seems, it’s finally ready to be released.

Read: CD Projekt Red confirms new Witcher, Cyberpunk 2077, and mystery title

Ironically, it will precede the third season of The Witcher on Netflix, and mark one of the last outings for Henry Cavill as Geralt – the DLC will provide a skin that transfers his likeness and costume to the game. Following the third season of The Witcher, Cavill will be replaced as the iconic monster hunter by Liam Hemsworth.

How to download The Witcher 3 for PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X/S

Everyone who has already purchased a digital or physical copy of The Witcher 3 for PC, Xbox One or PlayStation 4 consoles will get the game’s next gen upgrade for free when it launches on 14 December 2022.

More details about the claiming process will be revealed in late November, via the CD Projekt Red Twitch page, however it’s likely to be very simple. Those who already own the game should be able to pop onto their console’s main store page, search for the game, and download the upgraded version once it’s live.

‘If you have your game on PC, you’ll just download an update – and the game will continue to cost what it currently does on the PC market. We consider it an upgrade of the currently existing game,’ Michał Nowakowski said of the next-gen PC version in 2020.

Those who haven’t purchased The Witcher 3 yet should be able to nab the next gen upgrade for the basic price of the game (it typically retails for AU $20-30 on sale.)

You can watch the latest REDstreams in November for more news.

Leah J. Williams is a gaming and entertainment journalist who's spent years writing about the games industry, her love for The Sims 2 on Nintendo DS and every piece of weird history she knows. You can find her tweeting @legenette most days.