The Witcher Remake Put on Hold as Fool's Theory Shifts to The Witcher 3 Expansion
The remake of the original Witcher game has been put on temporary hold while its developer, Polish studio Fool's Theory, focuses on finishing a new expansion for The Witcher 3.
CD Projekt Red confirmed the pause to GameSpot, stressing the remake has not been cancelled. The hold is a production decision with two causes, both tied to how the studio's projects interconnect. Fool's Theory is concentrating on Songs of the Past, a third expansion for The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, slated for release in 2027 on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S (VideoGamesChronicle). A CD Projekt Red spokesperson said a relatively small part of the Fool's Theory team is also supporting development of The Witcher 4, the next mainline entry in the series.
The second reason runs deeper. The Witcher remake shares some of its underlying architecture with The Witcher 4, which is being built in Unreal Engine 5 — Epic Games' flagship game-creation toolset. CD Projekt Red explained that The Witcher 4's development needs to progress further before work on the remake can fully continue, because the remake will be built on the foundation that The Witcher 4 establishes: the necessary assets, tools, and pipelines must be ready for efficient development (VideoGamesChronicle).
CD Projekt Red first announced the remake in October 2022, describing it as a full-fledged rebuild from the ground up, with Fool's Theory leading development and CD Projekt Red providing full creative supervision. Co-CEO Adam Badowski noted at the time that The Witcher was the first game CD Projekt Red ever made — the 2007 original that launched a franchise now spanning three main games, expansions, a Netflix series, and a vast merchandise and licensing business.
For players, the near-term pipeline is clearer than the long-term one. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt — Remastered launches on 29 September 2026 (CD Projekt Red press release). Songs of the Past, co-developed by CD Projekt Red and Fool's Theory, is already available to wishlist on storefronts ahead of its 2027 release. Reuters reported in May 2026 that the expansion was coming to PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S (Reuters).
The remake, by contrast, now sits without a release window. Its fate is tethered to The Witcher 4's progress — a game CD Projekt Red has not yet dated. What is clear is that the studio is sequencing its Witcher projects to share technology rather than building each one in isolation, and the remake is the one waiting its turn.
