The new expansion for The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, titled "Old Songs," held a closed-door presentation following the official opening of Gamescom 2026. Several international bloggers watched the live demo and revealed details about the DLC's new storyline, new regions, and combat mechanics.
The showcase did not offer media hands-on trials; the game was operated live by a CD Projekt RED developer. According to attending bloggers, the demo featured operational errors and high-difficulty combat, leading them to believe the footage shown was not pre-recorded. The visual style of the new area reminded many viewers of Toussaint, with one journalist calling it the most visually striking region in The Witcher 3 in terms of technical performance and landscape effects.
The expansion's story revolves around Geralt's old friend Dandelion, with key locations including the family estate in Dandelion's hometown. The plot begins with a missing person case: Dandelion suddenly disappears, and Geralt is tasked with investigating his whereabouts. At the estate, he meets one of Dandelion's cousins and a temperamental elderly woman. Bloggers noted that the story maintains a brisk pace, with clues leading Geralt to the eerie and mysterious "Thorn Garden." The DLC takes place in Lyria, a region untouched by war, where a curse is threatening the entire area. Geralt must uncover the cruel origins of the curse, find its weaknesses, and confront the ancient evil lurking behind it. The narrative direction has been described as similar to that of Hearts of Stone.
The closed-door presentation also unveiled a new combat weapon: the silver chain. This weapon occupies the bow slot in the inventory and can be used to target monsters' weak points and organs, deal damage from a distance, or quickly pull monsters toward Geralt for follow-up melee attacks. The chain can also be used against human enemies; when deployed rapidly, it can disarm opponents of their shields. Attending journalists were unsure at the time whether this weapon would be equally effective against all enemies or if its mechanics were primarily designed for unique monsters appearing in the new region. The new area will also introduce new enemy types and outfits, while continuing to utilize some existing assets.