We didn’t expect to start 2026 talking about a new Witcher 3 expansion more than 10 years after its release, but stranger things have happened. Following a quieter initial batch of rumors last year, buzz surrounding what would no doubt become one of 2026’s biggest shockers is heating up.
Before we jump into the juicy details, a bit of history for those who haven’t been following the latest developments around the Witcher franchise in recent years: Fool’s Theory, founded by ex-CDPR developers and other industry veterans, was the studio tasked with remaking The Witcher 1 before being told to help with The Witcher 4’s development first, as CDPR’s experience with Unreal Engine 5 is more limited.
One would think that’s a lot on Fool’s Theory’s plate, but the rumors that first surfaced last year are pointing to an all-new Witcher 3 expansion being in development at CD Projekt Red’s partner studio as well. Eurogamer recently reached out to Noble Securities analyst Mateusz Chrzanowski as well as Borys Nieśpielak, the Polish figure who first originated such rumors.
Both are doubling down on their claims, and things are getting more serious with IGN Poland adding fuel to the fire. “We’ve known about work on a potential new expansion behind the scenes for a very long time. We don’t want to reveal exact dates to protect our sources, but the topic first appeared on our radar years ago,” its January 5 report on the matter states.
Moreover, IGN Poland’s article dares to tease the potential new setting for The Witcher 3’s third DLC: the desert-like region of Zerrikania, where the Manticore School of witchers operates. Additional materials back up CD Projekt Red’s long fascination with that part of the Witcher universe, so could we be about to get a Ciri-led expansion which bridges the third Witcher game and The Witcher 4? It’s too early to say, but it does indeed sound like we’ll be returning to the Continent sooner rather than later.
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