Nocturnal 
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is getting its biggest shake-up yet, and CD Projekt has finally told everyone exactly what’s changing before the Remastered version lands.
The Polish studio has published an official breakdown of every improvement coming to The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt — Remastered, ahead of its release as a free update on PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S and Nintendo Switch 2 on Tuesday, 29 September, as first reported by IGN.
Rather than a single list of tweaks, CD Projekt has split the changes into four categories: visual, combat, quality of life, and miscellaneous. The studio says this is to help players understand exactly what they’re getting when the update goes live.
What’s actually changing
According to CD Projekt’s note to media, the Continent has had a proper visual glow-up, with “modernized lighting” and extra detail promised everywhere from the hills of Beauclair to the mountains of Skellige.
Combat has been overhauled too, with the developer describing it as “modern, engaging, and more responsive than ever”. The skill tree, described by the studio as “the heart of every RPG”, has reportedly been rebuilt entirely rather than simply rebalanced.
There are also new movement animations and exploration tweaks designed to make roaming the world feel more immersive, alongside a batch of miscellaneous additions CD Projekt says don’t fit neatly into the other three categories but still add up to a “significant” upgrade.
In a statement, CD Projekt said: “A lot has changed in the gaming world since The Witcher 3 first launched. We’ve continued to develop and improve the game over the years, with the last major update bringing the title to next-gen consoles. Never before, however, have we introduced so many extensive, far-reaching changes at once — Remastered is the first release of its kind for The Witcher 3.”
The studio added: “Whether this is your first time visiting the Continent or a long-awaited return to the Path, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt — Remastered was created with you in mind.”
Switch 2 gets its own bag of tricks
Nintendo Switch 2 owners are getting some extras specific to that console. CD Projekt confirmed motion controls will let players cast witcher Signs, fire the crossbow, throw bombs, drink potions, and speed up or stop Geralt’s horse, Roach, using the controller’s movement.
Gyro aiming is also being added, which the studio says “offers greater precision in combat”, alongside a mouse mode as an alternative control option. The console’s touchscreen can also be used to navigate the map and menus, and even to play the in-game card game Gwent.
Where things stand now
What CD Projekt hasn’t done yet is publish a full, item-by-item breakdown within each of the four categories, so plenty of the finer detail is still under wraps until players get hands-on with the update.
The Remastered version arrives as a free update for anyone who already owns The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt on PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S and Nintendo Switch 2, with the studio confirming release times and download sizes have also been shared ahead of launch.
For a game that first launched over a decade ago, CD Projekt is framing this as more than a routine patch — and with the skill tree rebuilt from scratch and combat reworked, both newcomers and veterans returning to the Path will notice the difference from the moment they load in.
