Witcher 3 Remastered release time (Sept 29) and free upgrade
Witcher 3 Remastered release time is 10:00 UTC on Sept 29. Your local unlock time, who gets it free, download sizes and what changed since 2022.
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The Witcher 3 Remastered release time is 10:00 UTC on Tuesday, September 29, 2026, the same moment on every platform: 4 AM in Mexico City, 6 AM Eastern, 3 AM Pacific and 12 PM in Warsaw. If you already own The Witcher 3 on PC, PS5 or Xbox Series X|S, it arrives as a free update, and Switch owners can claim a separate Nintendo Switch 2 version at no cost. This guide gives you the unlock time for your city, who pays what, how much space to clear and what the remaster changes compared with the 2022 next-gen update.
Key takeaways
- Unlock: 10:00 UTC on September 29, 2026, simultaneous worldwide, per CD Projekt Red's official release map (as of September 27, 2026).
- Free for existing owners on GOG, Steam, Epic Games Store, PS5 and Xbox Series X|S, and every current owner of the base game also gets Hearts of Stone and Blood and Wine, according to CD Projekt Red.
- Switch 1 owners claim the Switch 2 version free; new buyers pay US$59.99 on Nintendo's US store as of September 27, 2026.
- CD Projekt Red's community director puts the download at about 45 GB on PC (Steam), PS5 and Xbox, and about 50 GB on Switch 2.
- The studio lists gameplay changes the 2022 update never touched: combat, a revamped skill tree, monster behavior, mount handling and transmogrification.
Step 1: Check the Witcher 3 Remastered release time where you live
CD Projekt Red chose one global launch instead of a midnight rollout per region. The official Witcher account posted a world map with the release timings on September 24, and every city on it lines up with 10:00 UTC. The rows marked "our conversion" are not on the map; we converted 10:00 UTC with the time zone database, including Chile's daylight saving time, which is in effect on September 29.
| City | Local time, September 29 | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles | 3 AM PDT | Official map |
| Mexico City | 4 AM CST | Official map |
| Bogotá | 5 AM COT | Official map |
| Lima | 5 AM | Our conversion |
| Boston, New York | 6 AM EDT | Official map (Boston) |
| Caracas | 6 AM | Our conversion |
| Santiago de Chile | 7 AM | Our conversion |
| Buenos Aires | 7 AM | Our conversion |
| Brasília | 7 AM BRT | Official map |
| London | 11 AM BST | Official map |
| Warsaw | 12 PM CEST | Official map |
| Madrid | 12 PM CEST | Our conversion |
| Tokyo | 7 PM JST | Official map |
| Melbourne | 8 PM AEST | Official map |
| Auckland | 11 PM NZDT | Official map |
The map also shows the storefronts launching at that moment: GOG, Steam, Epic Games Store, Battle.net, Xbox Series X|S, PS5 and Nintendo Switch 2. Battle.net is a new home for the game; CD Projekt Red's announcement press release describes it as part of a new partnership with Blizzard.
Step 2: Confirm you get the Witcher 3 Remastered free upgrade
The official Remastered announcement on thewitcher.com says it "will be available as a free upgrade to all owners of the game on GOG, Steam, Epic Games Store, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S." The same post says every current owner of the base game gets both original expansions, Hearts of Stone and Blood and Wine, for free.
| You own The Witcher 3 on | What you get on September 29 | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| GOG, Steam or Epic Games Store | Remastered as an update to your copy | Free |
| PS5 | Remastered as an update | Free |
| Xbox Series X|S | Remastered as an update | Free |
| Nintendo Switch (digital) | The Switch 2 version, which you can already claim on the eShop | Free |
| Nintendo Switch (physical) | The Switch 2 version, claimable at launch | Free |
| Nothing yet | Buy Remastered on any platform above or on Battle.net | US$59.99 on Switch 2 (US store) |
For Switch owners, CD Projekt Red's Switch 2 press release says digital owners "can pre-order Remastered for free right now from the Nintendo eShop," while owners of a physical copy "will be able to claim the upgrade on launch." The studio hasn't detailed the steps for the cartridge route in anything we read, so plan to check the eShop on launch day with your Switch cartridge at hand.
If you're buying fresh, the Switch 2 version is listed at US$59.99 on Nintendo's US store as of September 27, 2026. We didn't find official prices for the other platforms or for Latin American stores, so check your own storefront.
What about PS4 and Xbox One?
Neither the thewitcher.com announcement nor the press releases name PS4 or Xbox One, and the platform list is PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S and Switch 2. Some sites say last-generation owners qualify too; we couldn't confirm that with CD Projekt Red, so treat it as unconfirmed until you see the update in your PS5 or Xbox Series library.
Step 3: Check the Witcher 3 Remastered size and make room
CD Projekt Red's Global Community and Social Media Director, Marcin Momot, posted the expected download sizes on September 25. They're approximate, and the Steam figure changes with the language packs you have installed.
| Platform | Download, per CD Projekt Red | Note |
|---|---|---|
| PC (Steam) | About 45 GB | Varies with installed language packs |
| PS5 | About 45 GB | Update to the installed game |
| Xbox | About 45 GB | Update to the installed game |
| Nintendo Switch 2 | About 50 GB | A separate product, not an update |
Momot didn't list GOG, Epic or Battle.net, so we can't give you a number for those launchers. On Switch 2, 50 GB is roughly a fifth of the console's 256 GB of built-in storage; our Switch 2 SD card guide explains which microSD Express cards add space and how much you really need.
The Witcher 3 Remastered Switch 2 version adds its own controls, according to CD Projekt Red: motion controls for signs, the crossbow, bombs, potions and riding Roach, gyro aiming, mouse controls, and touch support for maps, menus and Gwent. If you're weighing which consoles get the full version of a game this month, our look at EA FC 27 on Switch 2 covers a very different split between the two Nintendo systems.
What Remastered changes compared with the 2022 next-gen update
The Witcher 3 already got one big free overhaul. The next-gen update list of changes, released December 14, 2022, was mostly about how the game looks and plays around the edges: ray-traced global illumination and ambient occlusion, a 30 fps ray tracing mode and a 60 fps performance mode on consoles, 4K character textures, community mods folded into the game, a Netflix-inspired side quest, photo mode, a closer camera, quick sign casting and cross-progression saves.
Remastered goes after the systems underneath. CD Projekt Red's announcement lists upgraded visuals, enhanced combat, improved traversal and movement, new sign effects, revamped mount handling, enhanced monster behaviors, a skill tree revamp, transmogrification (changing how your gear looks without changing its stats), an expanded photo mode and new finishers. The Switch 2 release goes further in its wording, promising "overhauled combat and animations" and "a completely redesigned skills and character progression system."
| Area | 2022 next-gen update | 2026 Remastered, per CD Projekt Red |
|---|---|---|
| Visuals | Ray tracing, 4K character textures, integrated visual mods | Upgraded visuals and performance |
| Combat | Quick sign casting, closer camera option | Overhauled combat and animations, new finishers, new sign effects |
| Character building | Unchanged | Redesigned skill tree and progression |
| World | Netflix-inspired quest and outfits | Enhanced monster behaviors, revamped mount handling, better traversal |
| Extras | Photo mode, cross-progression | Expanded photo mode, transmogrification |
Two cautions. First, these are the studio's own descriptions; reviews weren't out when we wrote this, so nobody outside CD Projekt Red has judged how much the combat actually changes. Second, the announcements we read give no resolution or frame-rate targets for Remastered, so we can't tell you yet how its modes compare with the 2022 ones.
Remastered is also the base for Songs of the Past, an expansion due in 2027 and co-developed with Fool's Theory, set in a new region called Letten.
Troubleshooting
- The update isn't there at 10:00 UTC. Store rollouts can lag a few minutes. Check for updates manually in your launcher or console before assuming something is wrong.
- You're short on space. Plan for about 45 GB, or 50 GB on Switch 2, on top of what the game already takes, and clear room before launch day.
- You play with mods on PC. None of the official posts we read say whether existing mods keep working after an update this deep. Back up your saves and turn mods off before updating, then add them back once their authors confirm support.
- You own it on PS4 or Xbox One. CD Projekt Red hasn't named those consoles in its upgrade list, so there is no confirmed path yet.
- Your Switch 2 copy isn't showing. Digital Switch owners can claim it from the eShop now; physical owners have to wait until launch day, per CD Projekt Red.
Bottom line
The Witcher 3 Remastered release time is 10:00 UTC on September 29, so set your alarm: that's 4 AM in Mexico City, 6 AM Eastern and 3 AM Pacific. If you own The Witcher 3 on PC, PS5 or Xbox Series X|S, the remaster costs you nothing but about 45 GB of space, and Switch owners get the Switch 2 version free too. The studio promises a deeper rework than 2022, with new combat, skills and monster behavior, but that's its claim until independent reviews land. Watch for them, and for word on PS4 and Xbox One owners. For more launches like this one, follow our video games section.
FAQ
What time does The Witcher 3 Remastered come out?
It unlocks at 10:00 UTC on September 29, 2026, on every platform at once. That's 3 AM Pacific, 6 AM Eastern, 4 AM in Mexico City, 5 AM in Bogotá, 7 AM in Brasília and 12 PM in Warsaw, according to CD Projekt Red's official release map.
Is The Witcher 3 Remastered a free upgrade?
Yes, if you already own the game on GOG, Steam, Epic Games Store, PS5 or Xbox Series X|S, according to CD Projekt Red. Switch owners also get the Switch 2 version free. New buyers pay full price, for example US$59.99 on Nintendo's US store as of September 27, 2026.
How big is The Witcher 3 Remastered download?
About 45 GB on PC (Steam), PS5 and Xbox, and about 50 GB on Nintendo Switch 2, according to CD Projekt Red's community director. The Steam size varies with installed language packs, and no figure was given for GOG, Epic or Battle.net.
Can I play The Witcher 3 Remastered on Nintendo Switch 1?
The Remastered edition is listed for Nintendo Switch 2, not the original Switch. If you own the Switch 1 game, you can claim the Switch 2 version for free, digitally now or at launch with a physical copy.
Do I need to own the expansions?
No. CD Projekt Red says every current owner of the base game gets Hearts of Stone and Blood and Wine for free with this release.