The Witcher 3 Remastered Is Just an Update on PS5, Not a New Edition with New Trophies
Developed over time first seen 2 months ago
CD Projekt Red has confirmed that The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Remastered will not arrive on PS5 as a standalone release, but instead as a free update applied directly to the existing Complete Edition. This clears up confusion that followed the remaster's Gamescom announcement, when many players assumed it would be a separate download replacing the current PS5 version. Because no new edition is being created, there is no accompanying Trophy list to unlock, disappointing some players who had hoped for a fresh set to chase, though it also spares veterans from repeating tough grinds such as a 50-headshot crossbow trophy.
The clarification came from CD Projekt Red community director Marcin Momot, who told a fan on X that Remastered is simply an update to the "current game client" rather than a new product, meaning existing save files carry over fully. Players who already own the PS5 Complete Edition, launched in 2022, will receive the upgrade automatically, and those moving up from the PS4 version continue to get it as a free upgrade, just as before. Commenters also noted the game's two expansions now appear to be bundled into the base install at no extra cost, drawing favourable comparisons with other publishers that charge for remastered content.
- Witcher 3 Remastered is a free PS5 update, not a new release
- No new Trophy list, but old saves carry over fully
- Expansions reportedly now bundled free into the base game
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CD Projekt Red's The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt has already had one major overhaul, when the Complete Edition arrived on PlayStation 5 in 2022 as a free next-gen upgrade for existing owners. The game's expansions, Hearts of Stone and Blood and Wine, are included in that edition, and it has long included its own PS5 Trophy list that players have worked through since that upgrade launched.
At the Gamescom games event, the developer announced a further remaster of the game, but the wording of that announcement left it unclear whether this would be a wholly new, separately purchasable release, similar to how some remasters are sold as standalone products, or simply an upgrade to what people already own. That ambiguity mattered to players because a genuinely new release would typically come with its own fresh set of Trophies to unlock, giving completionists a reason to replay the game from scratch.
Marcin Momot is CD Projekt Red's community director and acts as one of the studio's main public voices on social media for announcements like this. His clarifications are being treated as an authoritative source on how the remaster will actually be delivered to PS5 owners.
More coverage
- PC Gamer — The Witcher 3 Remastered should run just fine on the Steam Deck, say devs
- GamesRadar+ — The Witcher 3 Remastered won't scrap saves or achievements from the OG RPG as CD Projekt Red confirms it'll all carry over
- Push Square — The Witcher 3 Remastered PS5 Pro Support Brings Significant Performance Boosts