The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt owners are in for an unexpected treat as CD Projekt Red has made several pieces of premium content available at no additional cost. Players can currently download the game’s acclaimed first and second expansions completely free, along with another intriguing freebie that doesn’t even require owning the base game. This generous offering comes hot on the heels of Gamescom Opening Night Live, where fans were surprised by the announcement of a remastered edition of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt arriving as a free upgrade in September 2025. For those eagerly anticipating the visual overhaul, there’s plenty of Witcher 3 content to dive into right now.
A Treasure Trove of Free Content for Witcher Fans
The two expansions now available for free represent some of the most celebrated downloadable content in modern gaming history. Hearts of Stone, the first expansion, delivers a tightly woven narrative experience spanning approximately 10-15 hours of gameplay, introducing players to the enigmatic Gaunter O’Dimm and a haunting tale of deals with supernatural forces. Blood and Wine, the second and larger expansion, transports Geralt to the sun-drenched region of Toussaint, offering an additional 30-40 hours of content complete with new mechanics, armor sets, and a sprawling vineyard home for the weary monster hunter. Combined, these expansions received near-universal critical acclaim upon their original release in 2015 and 2016, with Blood and Wine even winning multiple Game of the Year awards in its own right.
The third freebie is particularly noteworthy because it doesn’t require ownership of the base game whatsoever. This approach demonstrates CD Projekt Red’s continued commitment to growing the Witcher franchise’s audience, potentially introducing new players to the beloved series ahead of the upcoming remaster. Industry analysts have noted that such promotional strategies often precede major releases or anniversaries, suggesting the company may have additional Witcher-related announcements planned for the near future.
The Witcher 3’s Remarkable Legacy and Continued Relevance
Originally released in May 2015, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt has maintained an extraordinary presence in the gaming landscape for over a decade. The game has sold more than 50 million copies worldwide, making it one of the best-selling video games of all time and cementing CD Projekt Red’s reputation as a premier RPG developer. Based on the beloved fantasy novels by Polish author Andrzej Sapkowski, the game follows Geralt of Rivia, a monster hunter searching for his adopted daughter while navigating political intrigue and supernatural threats across a war-torn continent. The title’s success helped spark a broader Witcher renaissance, including Netflix’s popular television adaptation starring Henry Cavill and later Liam Hemsworth.
The upcoming September remaster represents the second major visual upgrade for The Witcher 3, following the 2022 next-generation update that added ray tracing, improved textures, and various quality-of-life enhancements for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S owners. That update was also provided free of charge to existing owners, establishing a pattern of goodwill that has strengthened the bond between CD Projekt Red and its community. The new remastered edition promises even more substantial improvements, though specific details remain limited as fans await further announcements from the developer.
Perfect Timing for New and Returning Players
For players who have yet to experience Geralt’s final adventure, or for veterans considering a return trip through the Northern Kingdoms and beyond, the current promotion offers an ideal entry point. The base game regularly receives significant discounts across all platforms, and with both expansions now freely available, newcomers can access the complete Witcher 3 experience for a fraction of its original combined retail price. Veterans who may have skipped the DLC during their initial playthrough now have no excuse to miss out on what many consider to be the definitive Witcher 3 experience. The timing also allows players to complete this additional content before the September remaster arrives, ensuring they can appreciate the full scope of visual improvements when the update launches.
Expert Opinion: CD Projekt Red’s strategy of offering substantial free content ahead of the remaster release is a masterclass in community engagement and franchise revitalization. By lowering barriers to entry and rewarding existing players, the studio is effectively building momentum for future Witcher projects, including the highly anticipated Witcher 4 currently in development. This approach may well set a new industry standard for how legacy titles should be treated in an era of remasters and live-service games.
