The Witcher 3's next DLC may be taking players to a new region that's never been fully laid out either in the games or the novels they're based on. The unconfirmed but highly anticipated 2026 expansion for The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt could breathe new life into CD Projekt Red's action RPG more than a full decade after its original release, and the potential of giving players an unexplored land to wander around could provide a big boost.
Originally released in May 2015, The Witcher 3 is still a highly cherished game in the action RPG community, having earned a heap of praise from critics and fans alike. Two full paid expansions, Hearts of Stone and Blood and Wine, were released within about a year of the base game's launch, and more than a dozen free DLCs have been tacked on additionally. However, rumors have been swirling for more than half a year that The Witcher 3 could get a new DLC in 2026, which would be a surprising move for CD Projekt Red after such a lengthy gap between it and Blood and Wine.
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The Next Witcher 3 Expansion Could Explore Unknown Territory
If that expansion is, in fact, coming, it could take players to the desert realm of Zerrikania, an isolated human land located to the east of the Northern Kingdoms and the Nilfgaardian Empire in The Witcher series' vast lore. Now, IGN Poland is releasing previously withheld information about the potential expansion, claiming that a single insider source provided details on it years ago, and indicating that the development team was interested in setting it in Zerrikania. If that is the direction for the potential expansion, it would be a bold move by CD Projekt Red, as while Zerrikania is mentioned multiple times across the games and novels, players and readers have never actually been taken there before.
Zerrikania could provide a truly unique addition to The Witcher 3's open world regions, as descriptions of it gathered from source material make it seem like nothing players have seen. Although a massive desert region, fans shouldn't just expect a flat, barren wasteland, as it's also been described as having plateaus and steppes, along with a fertile canyon that serves as the center point of its civilization. The region also has interesting social and religious aspects, as there are temples dedicated to the worship of dragons, and the School of the Manticore Witcher training ground is mentioned as being located on its border.
There have also been some fan predictions about the next Witcher 3 DLC that anticipate Ciri could play a larger role in it. One aspect of Zerrikania that may lend additional support to this theory is that outsider perceptions of this isolated land include stories of its matriarchal rule and legendary warrior women. However, since the region has never been fully explored in any form of media, the development team would likely have a lot of creative wiggle room to put its own unique spin on the realm, if it is where the game is heading next.
A new DLC that focuses on Geralt's adoptive daughter instead of the main protagonist could also serve as a nice transition for the next generation of Witcher games. A new Witcher trilogy is likely to start in 2027, and CD Projekt Red's six-year roadmap to release The Witcher 4 through The Witcher 6 is an ambitious goal. It will be especially interesting to watch players' reactions to this new trilogy, as Ciri is being thrust into the central role while Geralt takes a back seat, so this potential Witcher 3 DLC could serve as either a last hurrah for Geralt or a changing-of-the-guard barometer check that sees how willing fans are to accept Ciri as their new champion.
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 93 /100 Critics Rec: 95%
- Released
- May 19, 2015
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Use of Alcohol, Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Nudity, Strong Language, Strong Sexual Content
- Developer(s)
- CD Projekt Red
- Publisher(s)
- CD Projekt Red
WHERE TO PLAY
Source: IGN Poland