CD Projekt Red Delays The Witcher 3: Songs of the Past Expansion to 2027, Confirms Scope Comparable to Blood and Wine

CD Projekt Red has officially delayed The Witcher 3: Songs of the Past expansion to 2027, confirming it will be a major release on the scale of Blood and Wine, feature Geralt as protagonist, and act as a “prologue” to The Witcher 4 according to senior company leadership.

In a financial earnings call on 28 May 2026, CD Projekt Red joint CEO Michał Nowakowski revealed, “We had a moment where our plans for Songs of the Past would be released this year, however we decided, together with the development team, that the game will be launching in 2027 to achieve the best possible result from the consumer standpoint, which in the end, frankly speaking, is the only thing that really matters.” This statement confirms months of rumour and speculation about the release date shift for the eagerly anticipated expansion to The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, originally slated for a 2026 launch.

Songs of the Past: Scope, Team, and Timeline

Chief financial officer Piotr Nielubowicz expanded on the decision, providing context: “For several quarters, we’ve been disclosing that our pipeline includes some unannounced projects being in an advanced production stage. One of those is the expansion being co-developed by Fool’s Theory. Our early plans assumed that Songs of the Past could be released this year, however, we decided that it will be launching in 2027.”

When pressed about the scope of Songs of the Past in relation to The Witcher 3’s previous expansions, Nowakowski was explicit: “When it comes to the scope, I’d say it’s actually a bit closer to Blood and Wine, but this is super-subjective. It really depends on how you’re going to play – what’s your playthrough. But we’re definitely making a proper big expansion is the message I would send out there.” The Blood and Wine expansion, for context, was a substantial addition with over 30 hours of content, making this confirmation crucial for fans hungry for a sizable experience.

Key Facts:

• Title: The Witcher 3: Songs of the Past
• Original plan: Release in 2026
• Revised plan: Release in 2027
• Studio: CD Projekt Red, co-developed with Fool’s Theory
• Protagonist: Geralt (not Ciri)
• Scope: On par with Blood and Wine expansion
• Acting as: “Prologue” to The Witcher 4
• Minimum PC Requirements: To be raised ahead of expansion’s release
• First major reveal: End of Summer 2026, no hands-on demo at Gamescom

Strategic Context: The Witcher Franchise and Expansion Plans

The expansion’s positioning as a “prologue” for The Witcher 4 was highlighted by Nowakowski, who said, “But of course indirectly, yes, it is a reminder [about the franchise]. It is, in a way, a prologue, although it’s not a prologue in a verbatim way in [that] it’s a prologue for the actual Witcher 4.” He elaborated, “The core thing from our perspective is really delivering a high quality fun experience to the existing fans of The Witcher.”

Asked how the Songs of the Past release date might impact the schedule for The Witcher 4, Nowakowski declined to provide details. At present, The Witcher 4 does not have a confirmed release date. However, Nowakowski revealed an ambitious broader plan: “Specifically, it’s to release three Witcher games within a six-year period. It would be difficult, to be very honest, for us to add an expansion to the upcoming trilogy – this is where we are here and now with this particular issue.” This means the new Witcher trilogy, beginning with The Witcher 4, likely won’t include expansions in the traditional sense, instead focusing on multiple core releases.

Meanwhile, Piotr Nielubowicz mentioned additional unannounced projects: “We obviously have some other content at an advanced production phase as well, and while it’s obviously not on the same scale as the major expansion, we still plan to release it this year.”

With the expansion confirmed to star Geralt and not Ciri, CD Projekt Red is also updating The Witcher 3’s minimum PC requirements ahead of Songs of the Past. The specific changes to specs have not yet been announced but are expected as the release approaches. There has been significant attention around new official artwork showing Geralt unsheathing a sword, signalling a return to the original protagonist for this high-profile DLC.

What to Expect at Gamescom and the Reveal Cycle

Detailing presentation plans for Gamescom 2026, Nowakowski set expectations: “I cannot really talk through the details but what I would suggest is that historically when we were showing Witcher games, we were typically doing a guided demo kind of experience, so probably you should be thinking more along those lines rather than a hands-on experience.” He added, “These are big games, very large RPG experiences, and having a five-minute session with a game like that would not really give you a lot. So we’re more likely going to be following the trail of what we’ve been doing in the past with The Witcher 3 or, for that matter, with Cyberpunk when we were announcing it as well.”

In summary, The Witcher 3: Songs of the Past is now on the books for a 2027 launch, will be developed jointly by CD Projekt Red and Fool’s Theory, feature Geralt, and deliver a “proper big expansion” comparable to Blood and Wine. The expansion is positioned as the start of a new chapter for The Witcher franchise, bridging the gap to The Witcher 4, which itself is part of an ambitious plan to release three Witcher titles over six years. More details, including pricing and updated PC requirements, are expected before the end of 2026.