The team at Fool’s Theory that is developing the expansion for The Witcher 3 is currently focused on work for “Songs of the Past.” The studio, which employs about 200 people, has around 170 staff members dedicated to that expansion. Questions have remained about the fate of the remake of the first “Witcher”, another project assigned to Fool’s Theory.
When GameSpot asked CD Projekt RED for clarification, the company said the remake was not canceled but has been put on hold while resources are concentrated elsewhere. According to CDPR, most of Fool’s Theory is focused on “Songs of the Past”, and a smaller contingent is assisting with The Witcher IV. The studio also noted the remake’s development has technological dependencies on the upcoming fourth mainline entry.
As we have already stated, the development of the “Witcher” remake was temporarily merged with the work on the fourth “Witcher” due to technological dependencies. Since the remake will be built based on “Witcher 4”, we need to prepare all the necessary assets, tools, and pipelines so that future development can proceed efficiently. CD Projekt RED
CDPR has confirmed that The Witcher IV will be the studio’s first title on Unreal Engine 5, following the decision to stop using REDengine after the release of Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty.
Fans tracking CDPR’s announcements might have expected the remake’s delay. The project was first announced in 2022, and Fool’s Theory was initially slated to concentrate solely on the remake. Over time, developers concluded the remake would need to be closely aligned with The Witcher IV’s technology and toolchain, extending its timeline. This linkage is referenced in a recent interview with CDPR co-head Michał Nowakowski, and is consistent with his earlier remarks: in November 2024 he reported progress on the remake, while by March 2025 it became clear that production would be tightly tied to The Witcher IV’s development.
Given these constraints, Fool’s Theory is expected to return to full work on the Witcher remake only after “Songs of the Past” and The Witcher IV are delivered — or at least after the main portion of work on the latter is complete. According to current scheduling, the third expansion for “Wild Hunt” is planned to begin sometime in 2027, and the “fourth” is targeted for 2028.