Witcher 3 surpasses 65m lifetime sales as CD Projekt announces third expansion

CD Projekt announced Songs of the Past, a major new expansion for The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt launching in 2027. Co-developed with Fool’s Theory, the expansion features a standalone story starring Geralt set after the base game’s conclusion, though it serves as a prologue to the upcoming The Witcher 4. Originally targeted for 2026, the expansion was delayed to ensure optimal quality.

The announcement coincided with strong financial results: The Witcher 3 has surpassed 65 million lifetime sales, making it the eighth best-selling video game of all time. Witcher IP revenue surged 36% in Q1, significantly outpacing overall company growth of 6%.

CD Projekt characterized Songs of the Past as a “proper big expansion” with scope comparable to the acclaimed Blood and Wine DLC from 2016, which typically requires 25-40 hours to complete. However, the studio signaled a strategic shift for its future: the next three Witcher games—Witcher 4, 5, and 6—will launch within a six-year window, with CD Projekt prioritizing full sequels over expansions going forward.

The ambitious timeline is reflected in expanded development resources. The Witcher 4’s team has grown to 513 developers—more than double the workforce that developed The Witcher 3—demonstrating the ballooning scale of modern blockbuster game development.

Sources

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• Witcher Dev Will Focus On Sequels Over Expansions For Witcher 4, 5, 6
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• The Witcher 3 sold another 5 million copies over the last year: ‘This cements its place among the best-selling videogames in history’
• Witcher 3 Songs of the Past should venture back to the novels
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• Witcher 3 Songs of the Past DLC a ‘proper big expansion,’ says CD Projekt
• The Witcher 4 is the work of over twice as many CD Projekt staff as The Witcher 3, in a fresh display of how blockbluster team sizes have ballooned