The Witcher 3: Songs of the Past - Everything We Know About CD Projekt Red's New Expansion

What is The Witcher 3: Songs of the Past?

After over a decade of supporting The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, CD Projekt Red is making an unprecedented return to the acclaimed 2015 RPG with a brand-new expansion. Songs of the Past represents a major moment for the studio—it's a full-scale expansion pack, not just additional cosmetic DLC. The expansion is being co-developed with Fool's Theory, a veteran team that's also working on the upcoming Witcher 1 remake. This partnership brings fresh creative voices to the Witcher 3 universe while maintaining the quality fans expect from CD Projekt Red.

CDPR has been clear about the scope: Songs of the Past will be comparable to Blood and Wine, the legendary 2016 expansion that many consider the gold standard for premium game DLC. Blood and Wine delivered 30-40 hours of gameplay, an entirely new region to explore, new questlines, and meaningful additions to core game systems. Expect Songs of the Past to hit similar benchmarks—substantial new content that justifies a premium purchase price, likely around $19.99 or included as part of a Game of the Year re-release.

The expansion targets a 2027 release date across PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S. While originally planned for 2026, CD Projekt Red decided the extra development time would allow for a more polished, ambitious final product. This decision reflects the studio's commitment to quality over rushing, a lesson learned from past launches.

What is the expansion's story about?

CD Projekt Red has deliberately left clues scattered across promotional materials, inviting fans to theorize about the expansion's narrative. While nothing is officially confirmed, the title and early hints strongly suggest Songs of the Past will explore Geralt's history and deepen the broader Witcher lore. The promotional music is distinctly dark and Slavic in tone—matching the cultural foundations that author Andrzej Sapkowski drew from when creating the original books.

The expansion is expected to tie heavily into Belleteyn, a festival steeped in Slavic mythology that mirrors Mayday celebrations. Belleteyn holds enormous significance in Witcher lore: Yennefer of Vengerberg was born during the festival, and it's deeply connected to Ciri's story. The setting is rumoured to be Cintra, the ancestral seat of power where Geralt first encountered Ciri and her father, Emperor Emhyr. Cintra is also the homeland of Queen Calanthe, Ciri's grandmother, making it a location rich with narrative potential and untold stories waiting to be explored.

Beyond Cintra, there's speculation about Cidaris and other locations in the Temerian region. The expansion will feature entirely new characters, fresh questlines, and—like Blood and Wine—likely introduce new mechanical systems or significant gameplay additions. CDPR confirmed new monsters and new witcher swords will make an appearance, deepening combat variety and rewarding exploration.

When will Songs of the Past release?

Songs of the Past is confirmed for 2027, but no specific month or date has been announced. CD Projekt Red has signalled that major details will be revealed at Gamescom 2026, taking place August 26-30 in Cologne, Germany. Rather than a hands-on demo, attendees can expect a guided presentation similar to previous Witcher expansion reveals—a cinematic walkthrough showcasing story, visuals, and gameplay features.

Late summer 2026 will bring additional information beyond the Gamescom presentation, likely narrowing down the release window to a specific season within 2027. This staggered information approach builds anticipation while giving the team time to finalize development. The original timeline assumed a 2026 launch, but as CDPR stated, pushing to 2027 was the best decision for quality assurance and polish.

Available platforms will include PC (Windows), PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S. Notably, the base game launched on Nintendo Switch in 2019, but there's no confirmation yet whether the expansion will come to Nintendo's hybrid console—likely due to technical constraints of fitting such substantial new content on the platform.

How does Songs of the Past compare to Blood and Wine?

Blood and Wine, released in 2016, set an exceptionally high bar for game expansions. It provided a complete story arc that served as a proper epilogue to The Witcher 3, introduced the beautiful region of Toussaint, and delivered 30-40 hours of new content. The expansion was so beloved that many players consider it the true ending to Geralt's story, with his retirement to Corvo Bianco vineyard providing narrative closure.

CD Projekt Red explicitly stated that Songs of the Past will be on par with Blood and Wine in scope. This means fans should expect comparable content volume, a similarly epic story arc, and significant new additions to the game's mechanics or systems. Blood and Wine introduced mutations—passive abilities that fundamentally changed character builds. Songs of the Past will likely bring equally impactful additions.

However, Songs of the Past has a different narrative purpose. While Blood and Wine provided closure, Songs of the Past is rumoured to bridge the gap between The Witcher 3 and the upcoming Witcher 4. This positions it as an essential story expansion rather than just additional content—a chapter that enriches the broader franchise narrative and potentially sets up the next game's story.