The Witcher 3 Remastered Sets a New 2026 Benchmark

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Remastered is now available, and its launch has immediately pushed the acclaimed RPG to a new high. With a 94 out of 100 critic score on Metacritic and 118,000 concurrent players on Steam, the release is currently recognized as the highest-rated game of 2026, although its review sample remains limited.

What happened with The Witcher 3 Remastered

CD Projekt Red's remastered release has generated a substantial response across critics and Steam players. The game reached approximately 118,000 concurrent users on September 29 at around 14:00 UTC, exceeding its previous Steam peak, which had been recorded in January 2020. The available Steam reviews are also more than 90% positive, suggesting that players have responded favorably to the changes included in the new release.

The renewed interest recalls the game's 2020 player surge, when the first season of Netflix's live-action The Witcher series arrived. However, this latest spike comes directly alongside the remastered release rather than an external adaptation. The title has also climbed to ninth place in Steam's official sales rankings. Comparable performance data for the PlayStation Store and Microsoft Store is not available, so the size of the response on those platforms cannot be confirmed.

Why the new rating matters

The original The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt already holds a 92 critic score on Metacritic, a result that helped establish it as one of the defining RPGs of its era. The remastered edition's current 94 score places it above that mark and makes it one of the strongest-rated releases of 2026 so far.

That result should still be viewed in context. The source notes that the number of critic reviews is limited, and both Metacritic scores and player counts can change over time. Even with that qualification, the combination of a higher critic rating, a new Steam concurrency record, and strong user sentiment gives the release momentum beyond a routine reissue.

For CD Projekt Red, the performance reinforces the long-term strength of The Witcher brand. It also shows that a returning single-player RPG can still create a major platform event years after its original launch.

What to watch next

Attention now turns to Songs of the Past, the upcoming Witcher 3 DLC planned for 2027. CD Projekt Red has not announced an exact release date, but the current remastered launch could provide a larger audience for the expansion when it arrives. Whether it can produce another player record will depend on the final release and the game's reception at that time.

The studio is also developing the next mainline Witcher game and a sequel to Cyberpunk 2077. The remaster's performance therefore matters beyond one release: it adds another successful result to CD Projekt Red's ongoing investment in two of its biggest properties.

Key takeaways

• The remastered edition currently holds a 94/100 Metacritic score.
• Its Steam peak reached approximately 118,000 concurrent players on September 29.
• More than 90% of the latest Steam reviews are positive.
• The game is currently ninth on Steam's official sales chart.
• Songs of the Past is planned for 2027, but it has no exact release date.

The Witcher 3 ratings at a glance

Expert View

The remastered launch is significant because it turns The Witcher 3's reputation into measurable current demand. A higher critic score alone would be notable, but the 118,000-player Steam peak and strong user response make the result more persuasive. CD Projekt Red now has evidence that its flagship RPG can return to the center of the conversation, while the limited review sample means the studio should treat the 94 score as an impressive early signal rather than a final verdict.