CD Projekt Red has announced a new expansion for its game The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, titled Songs of the Past, which is expected to be released next year. The expansion will launch alongside a full remaster of the original game, which will be provided free to players who purchased it in 2015.
The development of Songs of the Past was made possible through a partnership with Fool’s Theory, a studio founded by CD Projekt Red veterans. Marcin Blacha, VP story director at CD Projekt Red, stated that the story had been in development for many years and the partnership allowed them to execute it during a gap in their release calendar.
The expansion will see the return of Geralt of Rivia, who is called out of retirement by his friend Dandelion to assist him in his homeland of Letten. Blacha confirmed that the expansion focuses on Geralt and is not a prequel to the forthcoming The Witcher 4, which is not due until 2028.
New features in Songs of the Past include enhanced combat and skill trees for Geralt, who will now wield a chain weapon in addition to his swords. There are also new DNA-modifying mutagens that can tweak Geralt's biology and supernatural abilities. Doug Cockle and John Schwab will reprise their voice roles as Geralt and Dandelion, respectively.