Following Kojima, CD Projekt Red Is Giving Xbox Another Win
Just a few short days after legendary director Hideo Kojima turned heads across the industry by partnering with Xbox to rescue and publish PHYSINT following a surprising split with PlayStation (which totally broke his…
Just a few short days after legendary director Hideo Kojima turned heads across the industry by partnering with Xbox to rescue and publish PHYSINT following a surprising split with PlayStation (which totally broke his movie-buff heart, by the way), another gaming giant is accidentally delivering yet another victory for the Xbox ecosystem.
That studio is none other than CD Projekt Red, which recently also captured everyone's attention by announcing at ONL’s gamescom 2026 a free remaster update for The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. And just when players thought the deal couldn't get any sweeter for PC and Xbox players, the developer went ahead and did it again.
The Power of Buy Once (Even in 2015), Play Anywhere
As previously mentioned, CD Projekt Red is gearing up to release a remaster update for the classic The Witcher 3 on September 29, 2026. While fans were already buzzing over overhauled visuals, revamped combat, fully walkable mountain terrain, and an even better-looking Geralt who is going to look even finer in the bathtub, PC and Xbox players just received an unexpected bonus that makes dipping back into Geralt of Rivia's dark fantasy world better than ever.
With only a few days standing between fans and the updated release, it was revealed that the upcoming version of the game is officially joining the Xbox Play Anywhere program.
For anyone unfamiliar with how the feature works, it essentially bridges the gap between console and desktop gaming within the Microsoft ecosystem. This means that if you already own the game digitally on Xbox, you automatically unlock the PC version on the Microsoft Store at no extra charge (and vice-versa).
The announcement recently debuted via Xbox Japan on X (formerly Twitter), outlining the details ahead of the September 29 launch: “Along with the release of the 'Remaster Update' for The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt on September 29, the Xbox version will support Xbox Play Anywhere. As a result, customers who own The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt on Xbox will be able to receive the PC version on the Microsoft Store at no additional cost.”
Even though the news originally surfaced via Xbox Japan's official channel, observant fans were quick to ask whether the offer was region-locked. Fortunately, CD Projekt Red's Spanish community profile (also on X) swiftly confirmed that the Play Anywhere integration will apply globally across all supported territories.
With only a few days standing between fans and the updated release, it was revealed that the upcoming version of the game is officially joining the Xbox Play Anywhere program.
In an era where upgrading games across different hardware platforms often means repurchasing full-price titles, having CD Projekt Red embrace cross-platform ownership is a refreshing, consumer-friendly move. And the perks extend far beyond saving money, too! Thanks to native cloud synchronization embedded directly within the Xbox infrastructure, The Witcher 3 will support full cross-save functionality, shared achievement tracking, and unified DLC ownership. So you can seamlessly start a quest on your Xbox Series X in the living room, pick up right where you left off on a gaming PC, and earn the exact same achievements along the way.
Now, tackling the elephant in the room, pairing this player-first move alongside Hideo Kojima’s recent partnership with Xbox, meaning both PHYSINT and OD are headed exclusively to Xbox and PC (at least at launch), proves that Microsoft is doubling down on value-driven incentives to draw gamers into its unified ecosystem. I have to admit, I'm genuinely curious to see their next move and how the industry landscape will unfold over the coming years!
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt - Remastered Action Adventure RPG Open-World Exploration Systems Released September 29, 2026