The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Remastered is scheduled for September 29, and the upgrade announcement makes ownership more important than the name of an old edition. CD Projekt Red says existing owners on the listed supported platforms can receive the remaster without paying for it again. Hearts of Stone and Blood and Wine are included in the remastered release, including for players who previously owned only the base game.
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Check ownership on the platform you plan to use
The official announcement lists GOG, Steam, Epic Games Store, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S in its free-upgrade arrangements. The first check is therefore the account and platform on which the existing copy is owned. A purchase in one store should not be interpreted as a universal licence for every other store or console family.
On PC, keep the account that owns the game available when the upgrade becomes accessible. A player with several storefront libraries should check where the actual licence sits before buying another copy. The announcement also introduces the remaster through Battle.net, but that does not mean a Steam or GOG purchase automatically creates a separate Battle.net licence. The supported upgrade route and the availability of a new store edition are different pieces of information.
Base-game owners are included in the expansion arrangement
Hearts of Stone and Blood and Wine are not described as optional purchases needed to complete the remaster. Their inclusion is especially relevant for someone returning with an old base-game copy. That player should not buy the two expansions solely on the assumption that they are required to obtain the announced remastered package.
The expansion rule should also not be stretched beyond the two named adventures. An unrelated announcement, a later product or a similarly branded release is not automatically part of the same entitlement. When checking a store listing, compare its included content with the remaster announcement instead of relying only on words such as complete or enhanced. The exact product description determines what that listing contains.
| Existing platform | Remastered destination | Content named in the announcement |
|---|---|---|
| GOG, Steam or Epic Games Store | Corresponding PC upgrade route | Base game, Hearts of Stone and Blood and Wine |
| PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X|S | Supported console upgrade | Both named expansions included |
| Nintendo Switch | Nintendo Switch 2 | Remastered edition; new hardware required |
Switch ownership leads to a Switch 2 version
CD Projekt Red also describes an upgrade route for Nintendo Switch owners to claim the remaster on Nintendo Switch 2. That route is not the same as saying the original Switch hardware will run the new Switch 2 edition. The distinction is between an eligible existing purchase and the hardware needed for the destination version.
Players moving between the two Nintendo systems should confirm their account and ownership before release. The upgrade statement alone does not explain every possible retail-disc, cartridge, regional or family-sharing situation. If a specific form of ownership is not covered by the final store instructions, it should be checked through the relevant platform rather than guessed from a different version’s process.
Check save compatibility before replacing an older installation
The new edition is scheduled for September 29. CD Projekt Red describes improvements to visuals and gameplay, but this announcement does not list a frame-rate target for each platform. A player choosing between a PC and a console should check the platform-specific features when they are published. The free upgrade answers the purchase question; it does not establish how every device will run the new edition.
The same caution applies to cross-save. Owning an upgrade and being able to move a particular save are different questions. A returning player can prepare by preserving the existing save and noting the platform and edition used to create it. Final transfer instructions should determine the next step. Deleting an old installation or save before checking compatibility would create an avoidable risk.
Wait for the upgrade offer rather than buying on assumption
For an eligible owner, the practical sequence is to sign in to the correct account, find the remastered edition and check the displayed entitlement when it becomes available. A price shown before the release or on an unrelated store listing is not, by itself, a reason to purchase the game again. Storefront offers can distinguish between a new purchase and an upgrade attached to an existing licence.
New players have a different decision. They need to compare the remastered product with any older edition still on sale and check the platform they actually intend to use. A low price for an old listing does not automatically answer questions about regional eligibility, account access or destination hardware. The free-upgrade announcement is useful precisely because it gives an existing owner a route to check, not because it removes all platform-specific conditions.
What to keep ready for September 29
Keep access to the original purchasing account, preserve current saves and identify the platform on which the remaster will be played. Existing base-game owners should remember that the two named expansions are included. Nintendo players should distinguish their eligible Switch purchase from the Switch 2 hardware needed for the new edition.
Find the existing game in your library before making another purchase. Claim the upgrade through the account that owns the eligible copy, following that store’s final instructions. Keep the older save until you have confirmed it works in the new edition.
