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The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt — Remastered from CD PROJEKT RED (developed in collaboration with Yigsoft) has now been officially released, bringing many enhancements to the existing game for free. It completely replaces the Complete Edition, and includes both Hearts of Stone and Blood and Wine as standard.

See the launch trailer below:

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For the Windows PC version (that you can run on Linux with Proton) there's a few additional PC-specific features added:

PC Specific Key Additions
  • Added support for Path Tracing.
  • Added support for NVIDIA DLSS 4.5, together with Ray Reconstruction.
  • Added support for AMD FSR 4, including Frame Generation and Anti-Lag 2. FSR 4 is supported on AMD Radeon RX 7000 Series and newer graphics cards. On unsupported GPUs, the game will use FSR 2 instead.
  • Added support for Intel XeSS 2.0, together with Frame Generation and Low Latency.
  • Added Ray-Traced HairWorks for improved lighting and shading on hair.
  • Added support for DualSense controller haptic feedback.

As for the specifications you're going to need to run it:

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt — Remastered PC specifications

Everything else is below:

Key Changes

Visual and Rendering

  • Implemented an improved shading model.
  • Updated multiple textures and models based on assets from The Witcher 3 HD Reworked Project.
  • Improved lighting and shading for grass and foliage.
  • Updated the visual effects of Signs, including their upgrade versions.
  • Added new visual effects for skills.
  • The game now features native DirectX 12 rendering with multithreading for better performance and visuals.
  • Updated tone mapping for improved colors, lighting, contrast and detail.
  • Added GTAO (Ground Truth Ambient OcFeaturesclusion) as a new Screen Space Ambient Occlusion option.
  • Updated the HDR calibration panel by adding new options and other improvements.
  • Added Ray-Traced Local Shadows.
  • Updated Screen Space Reflections.
  • Updated Screen Space Shadows.
  • Improved Motion Blur with a higher-quality, more cinematic look.
  • Updated Subsurface Scattering for more natural skin rendering.
  • Improved terrain and material rendering for more natural lighting, shadows, reflections, and highlights.
  • Implemented new Image-Based Lighting (IBL) for improved ambient lighting and reflections across different environments.
  • Reworked Bloom for more improved lighting effects across different environments.

Gameplay

  • Improved the skill system. Skills are now organized into a skill tree and each skill has three ranks. Unlocking new skills now requires having the necessary prerequisite skills rather than spending a set number of skill points. IMPORTANT: As a result of these changes, your skill points have been reset.
  • Rebalanced the skill tree by refining skill bonus values, effects and synergies.
  • Renamed some skills to better reflect their effects.
  • You can now Reforge your equipment to change its appearance without affecting its stats. Only master craftsmen (Yoana and Hattori) offer this service. Unlock appearances by adding new equipment and crafting diagrams to your inventory. Dyes from Blood and Wine applied to equipment will carry over to the reforged item.
  • Polished the combat behavior of many non-boss monsters, including their attack patterns, counterattacks, movement, reactions, flight and the application of effects.
  • Added a new "Horse control input sensitivity" slider in Settings → Controls.
  • Improved Roach's and Geralt's movement, player control and animations:
    • Refined Geralt's jumping animation so that it feels more natural and polished. Note: This doesn't affect jump distance and height.
    • Added new finisher animations for Geralt.
    • Added new idle animations for Geralt.
    • Improved Geralt's ledge climbing, ladder climbing and vaulting animations as well as his speed for more responsive, fluid movement.
    • Improved Geralt's gap closing animations in combat for smoother gameplay.
    • Added a new exploration camera with increased FOV.
    • Added a new dynamic combat camera to increase visibility when fighting enemies.
    • Improved target-lock switching when moving the camera in combat.
    • Updated collision avoidance when riding Roach.
    • Polished animations for mounting and dismounting Roach, as well as cantering and galloping.

UI/UX

  • Meditation now features a timelapse instead of a UI screen for a more immersive feel.
  • The skill screen is now reorganized into a more intuitive skill tree layout.
  • Updated the map screen to make switching between tracked quests easier. Untracked quests now have a distinct marker and can be tracked by selecting it.
  • Increased the number of maximum markers on the map.
  • Added new map markers.
  • You can now hide herbs, boats and corpses on the minimap in Settings → Video → Interface for a cleaner, less distracting view.
  • Improved quest notifications by combining quest updates into a single HUD notification.
  • Nearby loot can now be grouped into a single window, so you no longer need to browse through multiple loot windows. You can enable this feature in Settings → Gameplay.
  • Added a loot feed that displays recently collected items on the left side of the screen. You can disable it in Settings → Gameplay.
  • Added item tooltips to the loot window, allowing you to preview an item's details before picking it up.
  • Renamed the "HUD Configuration" section in Settings to "Interface".
  • Updated the CD PROJEKT RED Account connection, My Rewards and telemetry consent menus.

Photo Mode

Updated the Photo Mode UI and vastly expanded its features and options:

  • You can now choose from multiple different characters to place in your shot.
  • Added a selection of poses and expressions for Geralt and placeable characters.
  • Added a confirmation prompt before exiting Photo Mode to help prevent accidental exits.
  • You can now lock the camera position in Photo Mode to make sure you capture the perfect shot.
  • Added the option to apply different environment presets to your scene.
  • Added the option to save camera presets, allowing you to save and reuse camera positions and angles.
  • You can now change the aspect ratio of your screenshot.
  • Added the option to toggle a first-person camera mode so you can see the world through Geralt's eyes.
  • You can now enable or disable camera collisions with objects and walls.
  • Set the perfect scene by changing the weather and time of day.
  • Adjust the intensity of weather effects like rain or storms.
  • Added an option to toggle Rule of Thirds lines in various aspect ratios, with optional cinematic black bars.
  • Camera coordinates will now be visible in the UI.
  • Added an option to hide surrounding NPCs.
  • Added placeable props, giving you even more ways to create the perfect scene. Just don't ask where they all came from.
  • The cursor is now visible in Photo Mode on PC when using a mouse.

Accessibility

  • Added a new Accessibility section to the Settings menu. Moved existing accessibility-related options there.
  • Added the Bard's Ballad preset. You can enable it when starting a new game on the Just the Story difficulty or during the game in the Accessibility section. It is designed to reduce cognitive load for players who experience mental fatigue or have difficulty concentrating. It streamlines gameplay by simplifying certain mechanics and disabling select features for a smoother, more focused adventure. You can enable the preset in the Accessibility tab and customize it by enabling or disabling the following options:
    • Vitality Regeneration Boost - Gives the possibility to adjust its activation threshold ("Activates below (%) Vitality") and the rate at which VitalFeaturesity increases ("Regeneration Intensity").
    • Infinite Breath - Geralt can't run out of oxygen while swimming and diving.
    • Unlimited Item Durability - Your gear will never wear down, so there's no need to visit craftsmen for repairs.
    • Unlimited Boat Durability - Boats are indestructible, making jagged rocks and sirens no longer a concern.
    • Ignore Item Weight - Travel the Path carrying as much as you want.
    • Faster Boats - Sail faster across the seas. The seas around Skellige just got a little bit smaller.
    • Toggle Witcher Sense - Toggle on and off without having to hold the button.

Quality of Life

  • Streamlined tutorials to keep them concise and focused on teaching core game mechanics. We think Vesemir would approve.
  • Added an option to quickly disengage from combat. Hold the dodge button (Alt/〇/B) to unlock from your target, then press the sprint button (L Shift/X/A) to run away.
  • You can now collect loot without dismounting Roach.

Modding

  • Added Cross Platform Mod Support, an in-game tool powered by mod.io that allows you to easily browse and install player-created mods to customize your game. You can find it in the game's main menu in Mods. Log in with your CD PROJEKT RED Account, connect it to mod.io and start browsing. You can find more information about the Mod Manager here.
  • Various engine, UI and other improvements for REDkit, making it easier for modders to create, manage and customize their content.

Fixes

  • Fixed an issue where it wasn't possible to change Right Stick Sensitivity if the settings were accessed directly from the main menu.
  • It's now possible to set Stick Sensitivity to the value of 0.69.
  • Fixed an issue where HDR settings would sometimes not appear on consoles.
  • In the Eternal Fire's Shadow - Fixed an issue where the Forgotten Wolf School Gear Diagrams weren't displayed in the UI after being received as a reward.
  • Wine is Sacred – Fixed an issue where fast traveling out of Toussaint during the "Search the wine cellar with Anna Henrietta" objective could block quest progression. This fix is not retroactive, so players who encountered this issue will need to load a save from before it occurred.

Other

  • Added Ukrainian text localization.

Be sure to leave a comment and let us know how you're getting on with it on SteamOS / Linux.

Maybe it is finally time for me to actually play it through.

Article taken from GamingOnLinux.com.
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35 comments
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Ehvis 29 Sep 2026
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I only watched a few youtube videos, but same as my initial reaction to the trailer, I'm still not a fan of the new "look" of the game. Part of this may be bias from playing the game for 400 hours, but there's just something about it that doesn't feel right. Other things feel outright bad. Saw some shots of the cutscene after the initial griffin encounter and the conversations in the White Orchard inn and the lighting looked awful. Way too dark and it made the colors look a bit weird. Overall it gave me the feeling that they were too busy implementing new technology to worry about what it did to the artistry. This stuff (especially shadows being to dark), was already an issue in the NG update, but seems worse here.

Luckily all this is just ray traced/path traced things as youtubers like to be fancy. So maybe things are better when all that stuff is turned off. This will be what I'm using anyway since I highly doubt that anything RT related will run in an acceptable manner.
hardpenguin 29 Sep 2026
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Btw this is how they ended up handling old versions: you can switch to a different Steam branch to keep using the older version

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seflasporin 29 Sep 2026
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It's always had a bit of a Vivid Mode issue, but it's gotten a lot worse in the Next Gen and Remastered upgrades. I'll still be replaying it obviously. 😁
PaldinoX 29 Sep 2026
Meh, every re-release of this game has the lighting brighter and less colorful for some reason. Not a fan, I'll always prefer the vanilla look.

Last edited by PaldinoX on 29 Sep 2026 at 12:20 pm UTC
Hippohop 29 Sep 2026
Looks great and I'm looking forward to playing. To those who don't like the look I understand, and would recommend mods (once the authors have settled into the new version). I did it for the colour grading on my last playthrough and didn't regret it.

Thanks for the summary Liam.
Mohandevir 29 Sep 2026
The game looking more bleak fits with the game's mood, imo, but all that's RT related will be thrown out the window (turned off), if I can get it my way. I always found the added value of RT way too costly for what it is. It's really easy to forget.
Feist 29 Sep 2026
Lol, for some reason, this remastering of (relatively) modern games, that already look great in their original condition, always brings to mind that old cliché phrase:

"They were so preoccupied with whether or not they could, they didn't stop to think if they should."

Last edited by Feist on 29 Sep 2026 at 12:52 pm UTC
seflasporin 29 Sep 2026
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Semms to be kinda broken at the moment. None of the graphical settings actually apply, they just reset to a default and DLSS doesn't work at all (and the UI on that is broken, still showing it enabled), reverting to FSR.
toor 29 Sep 2026
having trouble to enable RT actually. When I try, it switches back to no RT automatically. Couldn't find why so far.
XvR103 29 Sep 2026
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Quoting: toorhaving trouble to enable RT actually. When I try, it switches back to no RT automatically. Couldn't find why so far.
Don't worry, it's not you, it just doesn't work right now. We probably need a Proton update before it works properly.

The game has a few issues and it's hard to tell where the game itself is at fault or if it's a driver issue or just the wrong version of Proton. But hey at last the game works and isn't completely broken like on Windows where if you have an AMD graphics card everything on screen is black because apparently AMD forgot to release the driver version that the reviewers were already using before CDPR relased this update.
Hippohop 29 Sep 2026
I'm very much waiting until Proton (inc GE if its better here), graphics card drivers, the game itself, and finally my preferred mods, continue to update to a point where I can play it comfortably. Funny that that's how releases go nowadays! 😆
Shmerl 29 Sep 2026
Remember the times when they actually entertained the idea of making a native Linux version?
Verglas 29 Sep 2026
My dad (75) kept telling me (45) for over a decade that I should really play The Witcher 3.

I guess over these holidays I might just do that for the first time.

Last edited by Verglas on 29 Sep 2026 at 4:09 pm UTC
Caldathras 29 Sep 2026
Quoting: hardpenguinBtw this is how they ended up handling old versions: you can switch to a different Steam branch to keep using the older version
But not for GOG as far as I can see. If you don't already own the Complete Edition, you're screwed.

I haven't even finished Witcher 1 or 2, so I have been putting off getting Witcher 3. I had assumed they would do like they did last time, with the graphics enhancement pack, and make it optional for those of us with older computers. Or, at least make the Complete Edition available with the purchase of Remastered like they did with Neverwinter Nights Diamond when the Enhanced Edition came out. I am very disappointed. 😡

So, when it comes time, I am being forced to buy it on Steam if I want to play it ...

Edit: I stand corrected. According to this link (External Link: You need to be logged in to view this.), the GOTY and Complete Editions will be available as Bonus Goodies for Remastered.

Last edited by Caldathras on 29 Sep 2026 at 5:00 pm UTC
nebadon2025 29 Sep 2026
the game is absolutely broken on Linux.. I wouldn't bother for now until they fix this steaming pile of garbage.
seflasporin 29 Sep 2026
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Quoting: CaldathrasEdit: I stand corrected. According to this link (External Link: You need to be logged in to view this.), the GOTY and Complete Editions will be available as Bonus Goodies for Remastered.
Yes, rather annoyingly they're listed under Extras as GOTY Classic
Avehicle7887 29 Sep 2026
Was excited to try this on my new 9070 XT, except that ray tracing isn't working and apparently pretty much all Nvidia exclusive features too.

Someone made a patch for it but I'd rather have an official fix.
Mohandevir 29 Sep 2026
I keep reading "RT doesn't apply", "Graphic settings reset to default", "game broken"...
Obviously It's not acceptable, but aside from that, is the game playable on default settings?

If it's not a crash fest, I'll probably play it "as is" if it doesn't look too bad.
Quoting: ShmerlRemember the times when they actually entertained the idea of making a native Linux version?
I think all we ever saw was a banner on Steam, 'coming soon to SteamOS'; CDPR never made a statement themselves, and Valve took down that banner quickly after it went up.

I think something similar happened with Batman Arkham Knight.
Ehvis 29 Sep 2026
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Tried it for a bit and I came back heavily disappointed. Part of that may be due to proton/vkd3d compatibility problems, but time will tell how much that really is.

Key rebinding is completely borked. The UI works, but most of the rebinds don't actually work in game. This alone makes the game unplayable.

UI improved a bit, but honestly nothing special. The biggest issue (inventory) is still the same. It's funny because the Witcher 2 inventory was a more complete system.

And then there is the rendering. I ignored RT (which doesn't work anyway) and set everything to Ultra+ expecting low framerates. I was suprised to see that I still locked 60 fps. Great, right? But things just didn't look right. Certain grainy pop-ins. Trees in the distance that were pixelating in the wind. Blaming the default FSR (set to ultra performance), I turned anti-aliasing off (yes, upscaling is the same setting as anti-aliasing). The result was absolutely horrifying. If that is what it's rendering under the hood, then I'm not surprised that it ran well.

I'll keep my fingers crossed that an update to vkd3d may help. But as it is now I'm considering it unusable.
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