The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt hit 137,724 concurrent players on Steam on October 5, the highest count in its 11-year history, according to SteamDB figures. The surge came a week after CD Projekt Red released The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Remastered as a free upgrade on September 29.
That’s roughly a third higher than the old record of 103,329, set in January 2020 when Netflix’s The Witcher series sent a wave of players back to the Continent. For a single-player RPG from 2015 that most of its audience has already finished at least once, it’s a remarkable number.
How does the new peak compare with the old records?
The Witcher 3 has had four big moments on Steam, and the remaster beat all of them within hours. At its original launch in May 2015, the game peaked at 92,268 concurrent players. The Netflix series pushed that to 103,329 in January 2020, and the free next-gen update in December 2022 brought it close to 90,000 again. On September 29, launch day for Remastered, SteamDB showed the game at around 120,975 players and still climbing. The following weekend took it to the new high of 137,724 on October 5.
Those are Steam numbers only. They leave out GOG, which is CD Projekt’s own store, as well as the Epic Games Store, PS5, Xbox Series X|S and the new Switch 2 version. The real number of people playing this week is significantly higher than any Steam chart can show.
What’s in The Witcher 3 Remastered?
Remastered is a free upgrade for anyone who already owns The Witcher 3 on GOG, Steam, the Epic Games Store, PS5 or Xbox Series X|S. It’s a bigger change than the 2022 next-gen update. Alongside upgraded visuals, CD Projekt Red lists revised combat and monster behaviour, revamped skill trees, improved traversal with smoother Roach controls, new sign effects and finishers, and an expanded photo mode. The work was co-developed with Yigsoft, a support studio that has worked on The Witcher 3 before.
The bigger surprise is what’s free alongside it. Every owner of the base game now gets the Hearts of Stone and Blood and Wine expansions at no extra cost, and both are bundled with new copies. In other words, anyone who bought the game in a sale years ago and never picked up the expansions now has the complete edition.
There’s also a native Nintendo Switch 2 version, and owners of the original Switch release can claim it for free. On PC, the game is now available on Battle.net as well, through a new partnership with Blizzard.
Why is it happening now?
The numbers make sense once you add up the reasons to return. There’s no barrier to entry for existing owners: the upgrade is free, the expansions are free, and the combat and skill-tree changes give veterans a reason to play differently rather than just replay. And with The Witcher 4 still some way off, this is the only new Witcher content most players will get for a while.
There’s a wider point too. In a year crowded with live-service launches, the biggest comeback story on Steam this week belongs to a single-player game that’s older than some of the people playing it. Strong worlds and well-written quests age far better than battle passes.
What’s confirmed about Songs of the Past?
Remastered is also groundwork for the next chapter. Songs of the Past is The Witcher 3’s third expansion, and here’s what CD Projekt Red has confirmed so far. It’s due in 2027 as a paid expansion for PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S and Switch 2. It’s set in Letten, a new region and the homeland of Dandelion, Geralt’s closest friend. It’s being co-developed with Fool’s Theory, the Polish studio behind The Thaumaturge, whose leadership includes Witcher 3 veterans. CD Projekt Red has also framed it as a full-sized expansion on the scale of Hearts of Stone and Blood and Wine.
What isn’t confirmed yet is the exact release date and the price. As for The Witcher 4, CD Projekt Red hasn’t given it a release date; reports point to 2028, but treat that as unofficial until the studio says otherwise.
Should you jump back in?
If you own the game, there’s no reason not to. Remastered costs nothing, the expansions cost nothing, and the reworked combat and skill trees make a fresh run feel different from your last one. If you’ve never finished Blood and Wine, now is the time; it’s still one of the best expansions any RPG has had. You can check the upgrade on The Witcher 3’s Steam page, or on whichever store you originally bought it from.
If you’ve already done it all and want something new, our Baldur’s Gate 3 alternatives list is full of RPGs with the same commitment to story, and our RPG archive has more.
Source: SteamDB player data; CD Projekt Red’s Gamescom 2026 announcement of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Remastered and Songs of the Past. For more stories like this one, see our news label.
FAQ
Is The Witcher 3 Remastered free?
Yes, for existing owners on GOG, Steam, the Epic Games Store, PS5 and Xbox Series X|S. Owners of the original Switch version can also claim the native Switch 2 version for free.
What was The Witcher 3’s previous Steam record?
Before the remaster, its highest Steam peak was 103,329 concurrent players in January 2020, after Netflix’s The Witcher series premiered. The new peak of 137,724 was set on October 5, 2026.
Do I get Hearts of Stone and Blood and Wine for free?
Yes. All current owners of the base game now get both expansions at no extra cost, and they’re included with new copies of the Remastered edition.
When does Songs of the Past come out?
Songs of the Past is due in 2027 as a paid expansion for PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S and Switch 2. CD Projekt Red hasn’t announced an exact date or price yet.
Is The Witcher 4 coming soon?
Not yet. CD Projekt Red hasn’t given The Witcher 4 a release date, though reports point to 2028.
Are you back on the Path for the remaster, and which contract did you replay first?
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