CD Projekt Red Explains Why The Witcher 3’s New Expansion Is Delayed Until 2027, Size Talks And That It’s A Prologue – WGB
CD Projekt Red has shared a wave of new details about Songs of the Past, the upcoming expansion for The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, including why the project has been delayed internally from 2026 to 2027.
Speaking during today’s earnings call, the company confirmed that previous plans were looking at a launch window shortly before the decision was made to postpone the expansion.
“Our initial plans were that Songs of the Past could be released this year. However, we have decided that it will be launched in 2027,” the executives explained during the Q&A session.
The company later elaborated, saying the delay was done with the development team to achieve “the best possible outcome from consumers.”
That extra development time seems to be tied to the scale of the project as well, because CD Projekt has made it clear that Songs of the Past is being considered a full expansion rather than a small DLC release.
“First of all, it’s not DLC. It’s an expansion,” the executives said. “The little DLCs we give away for free. The expansions are big and juicy.”
Way to put me in a position to use the DLC in my title that includes the announcement, guys. Yeesh.
When asked if the new content is closer in size to Hearts of Stone or Blood and Wine, The studio said it leans “a little closer to Blood and Wine,” while describing it as “a worthy expansion.”
According to CD Projekt, the project is already in the advanced stage, as there are about 190 developers working on it. Most of the development is being handled by Fool’s Theory, while CD Projekt Red is providing the creative direction to ensure that the expansion feels authentically The Witcher.
And apparently the studio is happy with what we’ve seen so far. When asked directly if management was satisfied with the level of expansion, the answer was short and confident: “Yes, we are.”
CD Projekt also confirmed that Songs of the Past will launch exclusively for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S and PC, with no PlayStation 4 or Xbox One versions planned. That’s why they also announced that the minimum system requirements for The Witcher 3 have been increased.
As for when we’ll see the expansion next, the studio says it will appear during Gamescom, though fans probably shouldn’t expect a public demo.
Instead, CD Projekt has suggested that it may follow the same format as previously used in The Witcher 3 and Cyberpunk 2077, meaning that the presentation of the game is more directed than an open play session.
Perhaps the most interesting comment on the earnings call involved how Songs of the Past fits into the broader future of the franchise.
When asked if the expansion is like a prequel to The Witcher 4, CD Projekt gave a vague answer, saying that it is “in a way” a prequel, while also emphasizing that its main goal is to bring another great adventure to existing fans.
“In a way it is a precursor, although it is not a precursor in the form of a word,” explains the management. “And yes, you can consider it a way to keep some conversation going in The Witcher 3.”
Speaking of The Witcher 3, it is now sitting at over 65 million copies sold worldwide. If even a fraction of that 65 million buys the expansion, CD Projekt Red will be looking at a successful expansion.
It’s crazy to think that it will be 12 years since it first came out that The Witcher 3 will get a third expansion.
How old am I!?
