A behind-closed-doors preview at Gamescom offered a detailed look at The Witcher 3: Songs of the Past, an upcoming story expansion co-developed by CD Projekt Red and Fool's Theory.
The DLC introduces Letten, a brand-new open-world region that serves as the home territory of Geralt’s companion, Dandelion. Set in an idyllic landscape inspired by rural Poland and England, the narrative begins with Geralt recovering from a night of festival celebrations only to find the flamboyant bard missing. After retrieving Dandelion's stolen lute in a quick tavern brawl, Geralt travels to Lettenhove Manor to consult the bard's family, including his grandmother and his adventurous cousin, Lilla.
The search turns toward local folklore when Lilla describes the legend of the Garden of Thorns, an old tale involving a family ancestor who slaughtered villagers to defend a witch. Joining forces with Lilla, Geralt travels to the eerie, vine-covered forest at night. This questline highlights the expansion's primary story arc, which focuses heavily on dark secrets hidden within Dandelion's noble lineage.
During the exploration of the Garden of Thorns, the demonstration showcased several new gameplay additions. Geralt encountered a fresh monster type called a Swarmion, which uses a cloud of wasps as a defensive shield. Players can break through this defense using a new Chain weapon designed to drag enemies closer for slow-motion finishing strikes. The gameplay demo culminated in a boss fight against an undead relative known as the Slumbering Knight.
Along with the expansion content, the presentation highlighted visual and mechanical enhancements coming to the free Witcher 3 Remastered update on September 29. Technical upgrades include enhanced ambient lighting, dynamic water ripples, cinematic camera work during dialogue scenes, and more active NPC interactions. Combat has also been refined with smoother animations and a dynamic targeting camera that follows Geralt during dodges.
Rather than radically altering the foundation of the 2015 original, Songs of the Past builds directly on the series' established strengths with new lore, locations, and gear. The expansion is currently scheduled to launch sometime next year.
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