The Witcher 3 Songs of the Past Reveal Is a Month Away, and One Word Choice Changes Everything

The Witcher 3 expansion reveal was officially less than a month away at the time of the announcement, and CD Projekt Red's own wording told us what kind of reveal it was going to be. A first look at the third Witcher expansion was set for Gamescom Opening Night Live on August 25th, and one specific word choice in the announcement hinted at what kind of reveal to expect.

CD Projekt Red Confirms Songs of the Past First Look at Gamescom Opening Night Live

CD Projekt Red's blog post reads in part: "CD Projekt Red is delighted to announce its presence at Gamescom 2026. Hosted by Geoff Keighley, Gamescom Opening Night Live is a premier showcase and key date on the gaming calendar featuring exclusive trailers, announcements, and more." Players and press attending Gamescom in Cologne, Germany can also receive a guided presentation of Songs of the Past at the CD Projekt Red booth, with showcases running in the business area (Hall 4.2) from August 26th to 28th, and in the entertainment area from August 26th through the 30th.

The press release continues: "Songs of the Past will return players to the role of the legendary monster slayer Geralt of Rivia when it launches in 2027 on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, S, and PC. It adds a new chapter to The Witcher 3, a game that has sold more than 65 million copies since its release in 2015, and is the winner of more than 250 Game of the Year awards and 1,000 industry awards."

Geoff Keighley also posted on Twitter confirming the news: "Get your first look at The Witcher 3 Wild Hunt Songs of the Past during Gamescom O&L." So on top of the reveal during Opening Night Live, anyone in Cologne gets a guided presentation. What that actually means is still up for debate. Will it be a brief trailer? Actual gameplay? Will people go hands on with it on the show floor? I certainly hope people get that opportunity, because that would be really cool.

Why "First Look" Versus "Glimpse" Might Tell Us What Kind of Reveal This Is

Both Geoff Keighley and CD Projekt Red are being deliberate with their language here. Keighley says "first look," while the Witcher account says "catch a glimpse" of it. Those could sound similar, but I don't think this is accidental word choice. Typically, when a publisher, especially one like CDPR, says "first look," that tends to mean a proper trailer with some cinematics and actual footage. "Glimpse," on the other hand, is more about managing expectations so nobody walks in expecting a gameplay deep dive, which I don't think we're getting at all.

So the question becomes what kind of reveal this actually is. In my honest opinion, I think we're probably getting a big cinematic reveal trailer with a taste of gameplay woven in, not a fully standalone gameplay demo, though people on the show floor may get to play it themselves.

Comparing This to How Cyberpunk's Phantom Liberty Was Marketed

If you think back to the marketing of Phantom Liberty, that game had a teaser, gameplay driven material, and an awesome cinematic trailer that really set the tone with Idris Elba. All the marketing and hype for that game was just about perfect, and because of that, I would bet money that Songs of the Past follows a similar playbook, with Opening Night Live serving as the hype stage.

I'm hoping for a cinematic teaser, maybe that walk out moment of Geralt showing up for the first time in a decade. I really hope they have Geralt fully retired in Corvo, just kind of chilling, with the camera panning over to him drinking, getting completely drunk, before he says something like, "Ah, I'm getting too old for this, but my work is not done."

The Reveal's Format Could Tell Us How Far Along the 2027 Release Actually Is

One thing I think will be telling either way is how much they actually show. If they show a good chunk of gameplay and in-game footage, that tells us the expansion is far enough along that a 2027 release is rock solid, which I think it already is, though it would help pin down which part of 2027 we're working with.

If it's mostly cinematic and light on gameplay, that tells me it might still be a way out and they're just getting the reveal out of the way and breaking new ground for the first time, meaning we'd have to wait longer for actual gameplay. If they decide not to give us much at all at this event, I'd say the release date is probably further out than expected. So the format of this trailer is really going to give us an idea of where development actually stands.

This Is Not a DLC, It's a Full Expansion on the Scale of Blood and Wine

CD Projekt Red has been firm about one thing since the announcement: stop calling this a DLC, it's a full expansion. According to CDPR themselves, addressing this directly in a company earnings call, Songs of the Past is closer to Blood and Wine than Hearts of Stone in terms of scale. Blood and Wine added an entire new region called Toussaint and ran anywhere from 30 to 40 hours depending on how much of it you completed.

The CEO of the company confirmed that playtime will vary depending on how you approach things, but the ceiling could be around 30 hours of brand new content, which is what I'm expecting. For a decade old game getting an expansion this substantial more than ten years after release, that's absolutely incredible.

More Gwent Cards, Console Mods, and a Story Set After the Base Game

From the announcement window, we also know they teased more Gwent content, so if you're excited for a follow up to Gwent, prepare for a wild ride, since Gwent is basically synonymous with The Witcher 3 at this point and more cards feel like a given. This expansion will also likely include the console mod support that's been asked for over the years.

The story is set to bring back Geralt of Rivia for a new standalone tale set after the events of the base game. It's called Songs of the Past for a reason, and I'm very curious what that means. I've got a few theories I'll save for another time, but I think it's safe to assume this bridges the gap in spirit between the old era and The Witcher 4, acting as a kind of setup without being a direct one.

Could Combat and Visuals Get the Same Overhaul Cyberpunk Got With Phantom Liberty?

Here's something I keep coming back to. When CD Projekt Red released the 2.0 update alongside Phantom Liberty, they completely overhauled the skill trees, redid the perk system, reworked cyberware, and refreshed how combat felt, turning the game into a nearly different experience. The obvious question is whether The Witcher 3 gets that same kind of new coat of paint with Songs of the Past.

I personally like The Witcher 3's combat, even though I know a lot of people think it's aged. CDPR has not confirmed a combat overhaul, but it's something I've seen talked about quite a bit, and if there was ever a time to go back and fix mechanics or introduce new ones, this expansion would be it. I'd love to see a swordplay refresh and new animations, giving people both a story reason and a gameplay reason to go back.

That said, I don't personally need a reason to go back and play The Witcher 3. I'm actively replaying it right now, since it's my favorite video game of all time. I'll jump into a new playthrough regardless of whether they overhaul any systems, but if they give me more reason to, I'm all for it.

No Last Gen Support and Raised PC Requirements Point to a Graphical Overhaul

Songs of the Past is releasing only on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC, meaning CDPR is dropping support for previous gen consoles entirely. I hope we get a Switch 2 version, though it's hard to say for certain. I played through all of The Witcher 3 on the original Nintendo Switch, including both expansions, and I would do it again if given the chance on Switch 2.

On PC, CDPR updated the minimum requirements, and usually when that happens it means something is changing under the hood. Windows 11 is now required, and traditional hard drives are no longer supported. You don't raise minimum hardware requirements if you're not going to update the game, so this is basically CDPR telling us Songs of the Past is being built to take advantage of current gen hardware. I fully expect a technical and graphical upgrade, whether that's lighting passes, better draw distances, improved textures, or something bigger, though we don't know yet.

Release Window, Price Speculation, and the Case for a May 2027 Launch

The confirmed window right now is 2027, with no exact date yet, and CDPR has stayed quiet on price. Industry analysts have floated around thirty dollars, which I think is pretty safe to assume. Given the reveal is happening now in August 2026, CDPR is clearly still in the marketing ramp up phase, and the format of the Opening Night Live reveal will help determine whether we're looking at the back half or front half of 2027.

If they were smart, they would release it around the anniversary of The Witcher 3, which falls in May. That timing makes the most sense to me, but only time will tell how it actually plays out.

Do you want Songs of the Past to bridge the gap between The Witcher 3 and The Witcher 4, or would you rather it stand completely on its own?