Search witcher 3 free upgrade and you will hit two different CD PROJEKT RED patches. One already shipped. The other is still a month out. Mixing them up is easy, because both are free, both mention PS5, and both sit on the same Steam product.
The first was the next-gen update on December 14, 2022. The second is The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt — Remastered on September 29, 2026. Feature context lives on the Witcher 3 Remastered hub. Below is only how the two upgrades part ways.
2022 and 2026, side by side
| Detail | December 14, 2022 | September 29, 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| What CDPR called it | Next-gen update | Remastered |
| Who got it free | Anyone who already owned the game, on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S | Existing owners on those same three, which the new press release calls qualifying platforms |
| Same-day extras | Complete Edition launched: base game, Hearts of Stone, Blood and Wine, plus the next-gen extras | Native Switch 2 version and a Battle.net release. Neither is written as a free upgrade |
| Where to read it | The Witcher site | CD PROJEKT RED press release |
Steam’s Complete Edition page repeats the 2026 date: the game upgrades to Remastered for free on September 29.
What actually landed in 2022
CDPR said the next-gen update was free for owners and added graphical improvements plus new features and content. Complete Edition arrived the same day as the all-in-one SKU.
PlayStation had an extra wrinkle, documented later on CD PROJEKT RED Support. GOTY owners on PlayStation could add The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt - Complete Edition as a $0 purchase. Base-game-only owners got the next-gen patch on the base game, not Complete Edition.
That split is about the 2022 download. It is not an install walkthrough for Remastered. The PlayStation side of both eras is on the witcher 3 ps5.
What Remastered is offering
The 2026 line is simpler on paper: existing The Witcher 3 owners on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S get Remastered at no extra charge. Steam says the same thing for Complete Edition.
If you already know you mean that 2026 offer, skip ahead to witcher 3 remastered free upgrade. Keep reading here only if a store page, tweet, or friend is still talking about “the free upgrade” without a year.
Switch 2 and Battle.net launch on the same September day. The press release calls Switch 2 a native version and Battle.net a new partnership with Blizzard. It does not put either one in the free-upgrade sentence. Songs of the Past is a paid expansion for 2027, and Steam says it needs Complete Edition.
A fast way to tell the two apart
Look at the date first. December 2022 is next-gen or the Complete Edition that launched with it. September 2026 is Remastered. Native Switch 2 and Battle.net are 2026 products, not a second copy of the 2022 patch. A Support article about GOTY versus the base game is still talking about 2022.
The year-by-year dates are collected on witcher 3 remastered 2026.
Related guides
- witcher 3 remastered free upgrade — Witcher 3 Remastered Free Upgrade: Who Qualifies
- witcher 3 remastered 2026 — Witcher 3 Remastered 2026: September 29 Launch Timeline
- the witcher 3 ps5 — The Witcher 3 PS5: Next-Gen Update and 2026 Remastered