The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Remastered Launches September 29 With Free Upgrade and Native Switch 2 Version

Why this matters: the 2015 classic's biggest refresh is free for existing owners, and Switch 2 gets its first native version.

**September 28, 2026** — **The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Remastered** launches worldwide on **September 29, 2026**, giving Geralt of Rivia's 2015 adventure its most substantial refresh yet. The upgrade is **free for existing owners** on PC, **PlayStation 5** and **Xbox Series X|S**, while **Nintendo Switch 2** owners get the game's **first native version** on the new hardware.

Image: Two armored swordsmen clashing inside a stone castle during a historical reenactment, evoking The Witcher 3's medieval fantasy world. Credit: Nenad Stojkovic / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0.

**Editor's Highlight:** This is more than a resolution bump: reworked combat, a transmog system and a rebalanced skill tree make the remaster the definitive way to replay one of the most decorated RPGs ever made.

Table of Contents

• Key Facts
• Release date, time and platforms
• How the free upgrade works
• What's actually new
• File sizes and what to download
• What comes next for The Witcher
• Bottom Line
• FAQ
• Sources

Key Facts

Detail	Information
Title	The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Remastered
Launch	September 29, 2026, 10am UTC global unlock
Platforms	PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Switch 2, Battle.net
Price for owners	Free upgrade on all platforms
New buyers	$45.99 / $59.99 (Switch 2 eShop)
PC install size	~70GB including both expansions
Switch 2 download	~43.5GB (separate eShop product)
Original release	2015, eleven years ago

Release date, time and platforms

The remaster unlocks **worldwide at 10am UTC on September 29**. That is **3am PDT / 6am EDT** in the US, **11am BST** in the UK, **12pm CEST** across Europe, **7pm JST/KST** in Japan and South Korea, and **8pm AEST** in Australia.

It will be available on **PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S**, with the **Nintendo Switch 2** getting its first native version of the game. The launch also marks The Witcher 3's debut on **Battle.net** through a new partnership between **CD Projekt Red** and **Blizzard Entertainment**.

**Newsroom Focus:** A same-day global unlock at a fixed UTC time means no region gets a head start: everyone from Los Angeles to Sydney starts within the same hour.

How the free upgrade works

If you already own The Witcher 3 on **Steam, GOG, the Epic Games Store, PS5 or Xbox Series X|S**, the remaster is included automatically, with both expansions, **Hearts of Stone** and **Blood and Wine**, also covered.

Switch 2 works differently. Unlike PS5 and Xbox, which upgrade the original game in place, Switch 2 owners must download a **completely separate product** from the eShop, free of charge for existing owners. Pre-installation began a few days before launch, so the game can be fully downloaded ahead of release.

Players who own a **physical copy** of the original Switch release can claim the free upgrade when Remastered launches on September 29, according to CDPR customer support. Existing **save files carry over** on every platform.

What's actually new

CD Projekt Red has changed a fair amount beyond a fresh coat of paint. Combat and **Sign casting** have been reworked, stamina balance adjusted, new **execution finishers** added and monster hitboxes refined. **Roach** gets revised handling, including improvements when traveling through crowded areas such as **Novigrad**.

A new **transmogrification system** lets you change the appearance of your equipment without affecting its stats, while the **skill tree has been rebalanced** to make hybrid builds more viable on **Death March** difficulty. Photo mode gets expanded camera controls.

Visual upgrades include improved **water, foliage and armour textures**, according to **Trusted Reviews**.

**Analysis Note:** Transmog and a rebalanced skill tree are the changes veteran players will feel most: the original's build system heavily rewarded single-tree specialization, and appearance-versus-stats was a constant compromise.

File sizes and what to download

The full PC installation, including both expansions, is around **70GB**. The standalone Switch 2 download is roughly **43.5GB**, though CDPR community director **Marcin Momot** put the figure at **50GB**, and Nintendo Life's pre-installed copy measured **48.5GB**. CD Projekt Red has not provided separate PS5 or Xbox file sizes.

For players who do not own the original, The Witcher 3 Remastered costs **$45.99 / $59.99** to download on Switch 2.

Platform	Download size	Upgrade path
PC (full, both expansions)	~70GB	Automatic for owners
PS5 / Xbox Series X|S	Not disclosed	Automatic for owners
Switch 2	~43.5-50GB	Separate free eShop download

What comes next for The Witcher

The remaster also sets the stage for the series' future. A paid expansion, **Songs of the Past**, is planned for **2027**, and **The Witcher 4** is currently targeted for **2028**, per Trusted Reviews.

**Practical Takeaway:** With the remaster free for owners and saves carrying over, there has never been a cheaper moment to start, or restart, the 100-plus-hour journey through the Continent before the new saga begins.

Bottom Line

The Witcher 3 Remastered is the rare re-release that respects its audience: meaningful gameplay changes, a genuinely free upgrade, and a proper native Switch 2 version instead of a lazy port.

What to watch: launch-day server load on the eShop and Battle.net, how the reworked combat lands with Death March veterans, and whether the remaster pulls the 2015 classic back into the sales charts.

FAQ

When does The Witcher 3 Remastered release?

September 29, 2026, with a global unlock at 10am UTC (6am EDT / 11am BST / 8pm AEST).

Is the remaster really free?

Yes for existing owners: the upgrade is automatic and free on Steam, GOG, Epic, PS5 and Xbox Series X|S, including both expansions. On Switch 2 it is a separate free download from the eShop. New buyers pay $45.99 / $59.99.

What platforms is it on?

PC (Steam, GOG, Epic, and now Battle.net), PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch 2, which gets its first native version.

What's new besides graphics?

Reworked combat and Sign casting, stamina rebalance, execution finishers, refined hitboxes, better Roach handling, a transmog system, a rebalanced skill tree for hybrid builds, and expanded photo mode.

Do my old saves work?

Yes, existing save files carry over on all platforms.

Sources

• Trusted Reviews (Diane Templado), "One of the best games ever is getting a huge remaster this week" — launch date, free upgrade, combat/visual changes, file sizes, future roadmap: https://www.trustedreviews.com/news/one-of-the-best-games-ever-is-getting-a-huge-remaster-this-week
• Nintendo Life (Ollie Reynolds), "PSA: The Witcher 3 Remastered File Size And Release Time Confirmed, Separate Purchase Required" — Switch 2 separate download, 48.5GB pre-install, $45.99/$59.99 pricing, physical-copy upgrade: https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2026/09/psa-the-witcher-3-remastered-file-size-and-release-time-confirmed-separate-purchase-required
• NVIDIA GeForce, "The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt — Remastered | Official Announcement Trailer" (YouTube) — official trailer embedded above: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SsEHHkicjNk
• Wikimedia Commons, "Men in armor engage in a sword fight inside a stone castle" by Nenad Stojkovic (CC BY 2.0) — hero image: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Men_in_armor_engage_in_a_sword_fight_inside_a_stone_castle_during_a_historical_reenactment_event.jpg