Owners of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One will receive a free "next-gen" upgrade to the current-gen PS5 and Xbox X/S consoles in 2022. Fans have been awaiting the opportunity to see every detail of the grizzled White Wolf since the enhancement was first announced back in 2020. PC players do not have to worry, as the new features coming with the update will also hit he PC version. The enhanced edition of The Witcher 3 was scheduled to be released in the back half of 2021, then later delayed until the second quarter of 2022. Unfortunately, no word was given as to why this setback occurred, but the rough launch of Cyberpunk 2077 is a likely suspect.
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt was released on May 18, 2015, and has received two expansions. Players were immediately drawn in by the vast open world, topped with stunning visuals and exciting combat. The game lives on in 2022 as fans continue to make mods for The Witcher 3. These fun changes add replayability, by enhancing Geralt's combat capabilities or altering characters in various ways. The game reached a new audience when players got their hands on the Nintendo Switch release, in October 2019. Currently, CD Projekt Red has yet to give an exact date for the next-gen upgrade to The Witcher 3.
Fans have been left in the dark as to why the enhanced version was delayed in the first place. On October 20, 2021, CD Projekt Red tweeted out a Production Update for players to inform them that the next-generation version of The Witcher 3 would be pushed back until the second quarter of 2022. This comes as a disappointment for fans who were excited for the Cyberpunk 2077 and Witcher 3 upgrades set to release in 2021. Cyberpunk 2077's update was also postponed, though that game's launch has likely made it a more complicated prospect.
The reason given for the new delay was that the decision was, "Based on recommendations supplied by teams supervising the development of both games." Most likely, CD Projekt Red does not want to repeat the disastrous launch of Cyberpunk 2077 and is making sure the upgrades are as polished as possible. Based on the details given for the new version, Witcher 3 fans will be able to experience the riveting open-world game like never before.
Based on reports, the next-generation upgrade may feature enhancements from one notable modder who goes by the name Halk Hogan. In an article by Kotaku, they reported on Halk's announcement that his creation of The Witcher 3 HD Reworked Project may be officially implemented in the new release. CD Projekt Red has not yet confirmed this collaboration, but Witcher 3 has gone through many changes since its launch, and given that Halk already made major improvements to the graphics of the base game, a prolific modder officially working with the developers could make for the best overall upgrade. Whether the collaboration happens or not, players can expect to enjoy The Witcher 3 at 60 FPS and 4K resolution for PC, Xbox Series X/S, and PlayStation 5 sometime in the second quarter of 2022.
Source: CD Projekt Red Production Update, Kotaku
