The Witcher 3 Remastered leads 2026 with 94 on Metacritic
A monster-hunting epic from 2015 is the best-reviewed game of 2026 so far.
The Witcher 3 Remastered holds a Metascore of 94 on Metacritic, putting it at the top of the site's 2026 ranking. Reviews are listed as universally positive, according to the aggregator, which pulls together scores from professional critics into a single weighted average. Video Games Chronicle
The game was released on September 29, 2026 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch 2 and PC. It is sold both as a new standalone product and as a free update for people who already own The Witcher 3. That dual release means returning players do not need to buy the game again to get the new version.
The package centres on visual upgrades and includes both of the original game's paid expansions, Hearts of Stone and Blood and Wine. Those are large story additions set in new areas, with new characters and quests. The remaster also brings enhanced combat and traversal, the way the central character Geralt fights and moves through the world, alongside a revamped skill tree, a redesigned system for unlocking and improving abilities.
Its score of 94 sits two points above the standard version of The Witcher 3, which holds a 92 on Metacritic. The gap comes with a caveat on sample size. The remastered score is based on 8 critic reviews, while the original score draws on 79 critic reviews. Metacritic
There is no public user score for the remaster yet. Metacritic lists it as available after 4 ratings. The original game, by comparison, has a user score of 9.1 based on 20,210 user ratings.
The remaster was announced during Opening Night Live at Gamescom, the showcase that opens the German trade fair each year. The Nintendo Switch 2 edition was later featured in the Nintendo Direct broadcast on September 9, 2026. Publisher CD Projekt Red said that version includes graphical and performance enhancements, plus overhauled combat and animations. CD Projekt Red
Xbox players get an extra platform benefit. The Xbox Series X/S version adds Play Anywhere support, which lets Xbox owners download the PC version at no extra cost and carry progress between the two.
Metacritic currently lists the remaster as No. 1 in its browse-by-Metascore ranking for the year. Behind it sit Sektori at No. 2, released May 14, 2026, and Trails in the Sky 2nd Chapter at No. 3, released September 17, 2026. The rest of the top seven is Big Walk, released August 4, 2026, DOOM: The Dark Ages - Revelations, released July 7, 2026, Forza Horizon 6, released May 19, 2026, and Well Dweller, released September 22, 2026.
PC players should check their system software. Windows 11 will be the minimum required operating system for The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt following Microsoft's end of support for Windows 10 on October 14, 2025.
For players, this means a familiar choice. Newcomers can buy the complete edition in one go, while existing owners can update without paying again and pick up the same visual and gameplay changes.
