CD Projekt put up a side-by-side to sell the Witcher 3 remaster. A lot of people watched it and picked the old version.
## The clip The footage shows Geralt burning Drowners in a swamp with the Igni sign, original on one side, remaster on the other. GamesRadar's Austin Wood wrote that the new version looks worse and admitted he mixed up which side was which for a few seconds. The complaints: a glossy, metallic shine on the Drowners, fire that doesn't throw red light on the water, and less fog. He called it "almost sterile in its path traced brightness." (GamesRadar)
## The fine print The clip carries a disclaimer: work in progress, not the final look. The upgrade is free for owners on September 29. It also turns the Xbox version into a Play Anywhere title, so Xbox owners get the PC version with shared saves. (VGC)
## Why this is a Cyberpunk story Path tracing is the tech CD Projekt made its name on with Cyberpunk 2077's Overdrive mode. In Night City, all that bounced light works because the city is chrome, neon and wet pavement. A swamp in Velen is supposed to be murky. More accurate light isn't the same as better art direction, and that's the lesson for the sequel. There's no new Cyberpunk 2077 patch or Battle.net date this week. CD Projekt has only said the game is coming to Battle.net later this year. So the Witcher remaster is the test run for the storefront, and now for the lighting too.
## The takeaway Tech is a tool. Mood is the product. Every producer who ever swapped a dusty sample for a clean remake learned the same thing. Sometimes the grime was the point.
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## Sources - GamesRadar, Sept. 23, 2026 - VGC, Sept. 22, 2026 - GamesRadar, Sept. 14, 2026