CD Projekt Red has officially announced that the third expansion for The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, titled Songs of the Past, is scheduled for release in 2027. The studio revealed new details regarding the project during an interview with IGN at the Lucca Comics & Games festival, where lead level designer Miles Tost and writer Paweł Meisner discussed the expansion’s development and its integration into the existing franchise lore.
Exploring the New Region of Letten
The core addition of the expansion is a brand-new region named Letten. According to Tost, the area is designed to provide players with a distinct exploration experience, differing from the mountainous terrain of Skellige or the vast expanses of Velen. The region features a unique cultural identity, blending British influences on its aristocracy with various aesthetic nods to the Polish countryside.
The developers have integrated specific cultural details to shape the region’s economy and gameplay, most notably through a local alcoholic beverage called Bracket. Because this drink is a mixture of honey and beer, the resources required to produce it—honey and hops—are integrated into the region's geography. This detail further extends into the local bestiary; for example, a new enemy type known as the Swarmion is attracted to honey and utilizes hornets for defense, demonstrating how environmental elements influence quest design and combat.
Maintaining Canonical Integrity
The developers emphasized that while they aim to expand the history of the world, they do so by seeking logical justifications for their creative decisions rather than simply rewriting established events. Tost cited the return of Regis in the Blood and Wine expansion as an example of this approach, where the studio provided a narrative explanation for the character’s survival. Regarding their methodology, Tost stated, We are not trying to rewrite the canon, we are looking for cool ways to expand and justify it.
