Rumor: CD Projekt Red Reportedly Planning A New 'Witcher 3' Expansion For 2026 Because We Can't Let Go

Rumor Mill
Written By NLM Team

Just when I thought I had finally moved on from Velen, a Polish brokerage house is claiming we are going back in for one last job before the next saga begins.

I was under the impression that The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt was finished. It has been over a decade since launch, we got the next-gen update, and we all happily retired Geralt at Corvo Bianco. But according to a new report from Noble Securities analyst Mateusz Chrzanowski (spotted by Strefa Inwestorów), CD Projekt Red might be cooking up a surprise paid expansion for May 2026. The logic here is that CDPR needs a "commercial bridge" to keep the lights on and the hype train moving before the next mainline entry drops. If this is true, we are looking at a DLC releasing 11 years after the base game, which is absolutely unhinged behavior that I will undoubtedly support with my wallet.

The Witcher 4 Is Further Away Than You Hope

The report doesn't just drop the DLC bombshell, it pushes the release window for the start of the new trilogy, Project Polaris (The Witcher 4), all the way to Q4 2027. Originally, we were hoping for something sooner, but the analyst cites extended production cycles and massive budget increases.

We are talking about a projected budget of PLN 3.2 billion (€760 Million) for the new trilogy. That is an obscene amount of money. The idea is that this 2026 DLC for The Witcher 3 will kickstart the marketing campaign for The Witcher 4, effectively reminding everyone why they love this universe right before dropping the new saga. It is a bold strategy, especially since they are estimating this expansion alone could sell 11 million copies at $30 a pop.

Cyberpunk 2077 Sequel and Other Delays

If you are waiting for Project Orion (the Cyberpunk 2077 sequel), you might want to freeze yourself like Walt Disney. The report estimates a release window of Q4 2030. Yes, you read that right. The goal is apparently to align the release with the 10th anniversary of the original game, which is poetic but painful.

The delay is partly attributed to the integration of multiplayer components, which has ballooned the budget and production time. Meanwhile, the Witcher 1 Remake (Canis Majoris) and the spin-off Project Sirius are reportedly slipping to 2028.

My Take

This timeline puts CD Projekt Red on a collision course with the aftershocks of GTA VI (releasing late 2026). Releasing a paid expansion for an 11-year-old game is a risky move, but if anyone can pull it off, it is the studio that turned Cyberpunk from a disaster into a beloved RPG. I just hope my PC can still run games by the time 2030 rolls around.

Source: Strefa Inwestorów

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