- Reputed insiders from the Polish games industry have claimed that The Witcher 3 will receive a new DLC in 2026.
- The DLC will reportedly bridge the gap between the events of Witcher 3 and the upcoming Witcher 4.
- According a forecast, it could be priced at $30.
In the summer of 2025, rumors about a brand-new DLC for the critically acclaimed Witcher 3 began circulating online. These were initially dismissed, as the prospect of a decade-old RPG receiving new content, while its publisher is working on a sequel no less, seemed far too audacious. However, these claims have only persisted, with independent sources even doubling down and revealing new details about the potential Witcher 3 DLC that’s planned for release in 2026.
The Witcher 3 DLC Rumors Explained for 2026 Release
The original source for the Witcher 3 DLC rumors is Polish games industry insider, Borys Nieśpielak. Last summer, Nieśpielak stated that Fool’s Theory, the Polish studio working on the Witcher 1 remake, is also putting together an expansion for the Witcher 3. The expansion would reportedly bridge the gap between the events of Witcher 3 and the upcoming Witcher 4 – likely providing the setup to hand over franchise protagonist rights to Ciri. Given the premise, the DLC could also feature Ciri as the playable character.
He added that the expansion would be revealed during the Game Awards, but of course, the announcement never came. Normally, such an inaccuracy would lead to rumors losing steam. However, the prominence of the original source, coupled with an interesting comment from CD Projekt RED’s latest earnings call, has kept the boat afloat.
The comment in question hints at new content primed for release in 2026: “Given our current progress, there is a chance that new content hinted upon in recent calls and reports may see release in the coming year, having an impact on our results and increasing the likelihood of achieving the earnings condition for the first stage of the incentive program.“
‘New content’ is far too vague a term to be used for a brand-new game. And seeing as most of CDPR’s active projects are years away from release, the only feasible theory leads back to the potential Witcher 3 DLC.
The rumors were further solidified by a report from Mateusz Chrzanowski, a Polish Noble Securities analyst. According to a translation obtained via Reddit, Chrzanowski anticipates “another paid add-on (DLC) for The Witcher 3 to be released in May 2026.” The DLC is expected to generate “sales of 11 million copies at USD 30 each next year,” against a budget of PLN 52 million. To cap things off, the report claims the DLC will kick off the “actual marketing campaign for The Witcher 4.”
Chrzanowski’s report also provides forecasts for future CDPR projects, such as Project Orion (Cyberpunk 2077 sequel), and is well-worth a read.
All things considered, the rumors of a new Witcher 3 DLC appear to be true. Multiple local sources have corroborated these claims, and it certainly makes sense from a promotional point of view. However, you have to wonder just how big this DLC will be. Will it be a Blood and Wine-sized affair, featuring a new open-world map and a generous helping of content? Or will it ditch CDPR’s usual ‘expansion’ moniker in favor of something more linear and streamlined?
Then there’s the obvious elephant in the room – The Witcher 3 is a decade-old game. Its combat systems and cutscenes weren’t exactly cutting-edge for its time, and naturally, they haven’t aged that gracefully either. The title was also developed in the now-retired REDengine, with both new Witcher projects adopting Unreal Engine 5. The backwards transition is sure to complicate development in some way, and it’ll be interesting to see whether the devs will introduce any meaningful changes to the core mechanics.
Nevertheless, will you purchase a new Witcher 3 DLC in 2026? Let us know in the comments.
