The Witcher 3 Songs of the Past Expansion: Everything Revealed at gamescom ONL 2026
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Songs of the Past got a proper reveal trailer at gamescom Opening Night Live 2026, and developer CD Projekt Red showed up to talk about its new chain weapon, the realm of Letten, and more.
Geralt of Rivia helped close out ONL 2026 when the studio talked about how it plans to revisit its critically acclaimed 2015 RPG with new content next year. There's still much that hasn't been revealed, but this first showing finally teased what it will be like for players to revisit The Witcher 3 12 years after its original launch.
We'll get into all of the details that CD Projekt Red had to share, but first, the show had another surprise for viewers: a trailer. You can see the first The Witcher 3 Songs of the Past teaser below.
Get Over Here
So, what does the first Songs of the Past trailer tell us? Unfortunately, not much – at least at first glance. Geralt can first be seen approaching a tree decorated with lanterns before dancing in a camp with a partner who may not actually be there. Next, we're introduced to the moonlit skies and sun-kissed fields of Letten, the new realm where Songs of the Past takes place.
Geralt will find himself confronted with a new assortment of humans and monsters, and while that might be nothing new for a Witcher, the big bad whispering throughout the teaser might be. What might have most Witcher 3 fans the most excited, though, is the weapon featured toward the end of the video. The few seconds of footage showed Geralt using a chain to grapple and grapple an enemy before decapitating them. It looks like it could have been ripped right out of the hands of Mortal Kombat's Scorpion and seems to fit well in a Witcher's arsenal.
Welcome to Letten
An official description for the expansion teased what lies in Letten and its ties to the new story: "This idyllic land is rich in rural tradition and folklore, and its people enjoy a fulfilling life of bountiful harvests and lavish festivals. But a dark secret lurks just beneath the surface, and Geralt must overcome never-before-seen foes as he fights to overcome its long-dormant evil."
As revealed during the show, fans can officially wishlist Songs of the Past ahead of its eventual release. CD Projekt Red said the content will take players to the new realm of Letten, though what few sneak peeks we got of it seem to be tied to that trailer.
CD Projekt Red Talks Returning to The Witcher 3
Fans of The Witcher games and books will surely find plenty to pick apart while we wait for Songs of the Past to launch next year, but CD Projekt Red didn't want to stop there. Level design lead Miles Tost took the gamescom ONL stage to share more details about how the expansion builds on the original game.
"It's super cool," Tost said with a laugh. "We had this idea for one more story with Geralt for a while, but we couldn't quite figure out how to fit it into our busy schedules. Luckily, our friends from Fool's Theory came around, and they hired a bunch of old veteran Witcher 3 developers – including my mentor, Peter Gelenscer – and here we are today."
Tost noted that this is The Witcher 3 protagonist's last adventure before Ciri takes the torch in The Witcher 4 sometime in 2028. Giving Geralt a chain will help make his journey in Songs of the Past particularly memorable.
Chains from the books are back, i can't believe this man 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭 pic.twitter.com/FXVYm6GEW9— Kercy (@KdeKercy) August 25, 2026
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Chains from the books are back, i can't believe this man 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭 pic.twitter.com/FXVYm6GEW9
"This chain is a weapon that is new in the game, but many people, perhaps hardcore Witcher fans, will realize that this is a weapon we first showed in The Witcher 1 intro," Tost continued, directing fans to head to the CD Projekt Red booth at gamescom to learn more.
Tost also had some words to share about Letten and how that environment will change things up for fans: "Letten is a whole new, unique region that has a unique identity, like the other regions in the game. It is filled with quests, new monsters, adventures and exploration – just like the things that Witcher fans love. But it's an almost uncannily idyllic place that, however, has a dark secret lurking just underneath the surface and, as it is a Witcher game, this kind of secret requires a true professional Witcher to solve."
Geralt is finally back. The Witcher 3 Songs of the Past may not have a release date, but it is still expected to launch sometime in 2027 for PC, Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S. In the meantime, players can also look forward to The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Remastered, which was also announced during gamescom ONL 2026.
We'll hopefully learn more about the surprise expansion in the months ahead. In the meantime, the developer also recently confirmed that the add-on will bring more Gwent to the game. You can also check out everything announced during ONL here.
Michael Cripe is a freelance writer with IGN. He's best known for his work at sites like The Pitch, The Escapist, and OnlySP. Be sure to give him a follow on Bluesky (@mikecripe.bsky.social) and Twitter (@MikeCripe).