The next-gen upgrades of Witcher 3 and Cyberpunk 2077 were supposed to launch late 2021, but not CDPR has now admitted that they’re not sure on whether they’ll make that deadline.
[Update, October 20, 2021]
Yeah, I feel like an absolute fool. Look at me, being all like: It'll come out this year, guys, definitely. Well, CDPR confirmed that the next-gen versions for both Cyberpunk 2077 and The Witcher 3 will release in the first quarter of 2022.
Based on recommendations supplied by teams supervising the development of both games, we decided to postpone their releases until 2022. Apologies for the extended wait, but we wanted to make it right.
Given everything that happened in the past, we're glad that CDPR is finally listening to feedback and are delaying this release rather than pushing it out despite it not being ready yet. Good on you, guys. Good on you.
[Update, October 19, 2021]
The next-gen versions of The Witcher 3 were rated in Europe today. The fact that the next-gen version was rated now might mean that the release date isn't as far ahead as we originally thought. To give you some perspective: the GTA trilogy was rated around two weeks ago and will most likely release in November. The time span of the rating release and the game release is usually up to three months.
If Witcher 3 Next-Gen follows that practice, then the game might just release this year after all, possibly December.
The PS5 and Xbox Series versions of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt were rated in Europe today. More info likely coming soon. pic.twitter.com/6MWu9WFUZe
— Gematsu (@gematsucom) October 19, 2021
CDPR just can’t catch a break. Ever since the release of Cyberpunk 2077, the company had to deal with hiccups – to put it mildly – and this situation just shows that once more. Though, they have seemingly learned their lesson, which is why the next-gen upgrade of the Witcher 3 and Cyberpunk 2077 will now probably be delayed, due to not wanting to make the same mistake as in the past.
The target is to release the next-gen version of Cyberpunk 2077 late this year. At the same time, keeping in mind the lessons we have learned during the past year and taking into account that this project still remains in development, we can't say with full certainty that the production schedule will not change.
This is what Michał Nowakowski, SVP of business development said during CDPR’s H1 2021 results call (thanks VGC). This one purely focuses on Cyberpunk 2077, but it’s a similar story with the Witcher 3.
[The development of The Witcher 3 next-gen upgrade] is ongoing, and we cannot be absolutely dead certain that the release schedule will not change.
Is The Witcher 3 Getting a Next-Gen Upgrade?
Yes, the Witcher 3 is getting a next-gen upgrade. How can a game as graphically beautiful as that not get one? And let’s be real, as much as people hated on Cyberpunk and swore off CDPR, the Witcher 3 is part of everyone’s top 10 favorite video games and no Cyberpunk could ever change that. So stop trying to pretend you’re not excited about this next-gen upgrade… unless you don’t have a next-gen, then you can be sad.
When is The Witcher 3 Next-Gen Upgrade Release Date?
CDPR is still aiming to release the Witcher 3 next-gen upgrade in late 2021, but as you can see above, they’re not certain this date will not move. If it does, though, we can still expect the next-gen update to hit in 2022, if it won’t be released this year.
- Witcher 3 and Cyberpunk 2077 both have steamy scenes. Which is your favorite?
Is Cyberpunk 2077 Getting a Next-Gen Upgrade?
Yes, Cyberpunk 2077 is getting a next-gen upgrade and was actually supposed to have one right from the start. Due to the various bugs on old-gen, however, CDPR had no other choice but to make it playable (sad to say that) on old-gen first, therefor not being able to focus on next-gen at all.
Now that the game is somewhat stable, especially after the huge patch 1.3, they’re fully working on the next-gen update.
When is The Cyberpunk 2077 Next-Gen Upgrade Release Date?
Like with Witcher 3, the release date of Cyberpunk 2077’s next-gen upgrade is still planned to be late 2021, though they will not make the same mistakes of the past and will push this date back if they feel like it’s not ready by late 2021. If so, we still expect the Cyberpunk 2077 next-gen upgrade to release in 2022, if they can't make it by the end of this year.
So, there you have it. You’ll either get to experience next-gen wonders for both Cyberpunk and The Witcher in late 2021, or 2022, probably early-mid 2022. Once more news about this come out, EarlyGame will, of course, cover it. So stick around.
