Free Witcher 3 remaster pushes Steam player record past previous peaks
CD Projekt Red released a free Remastered edition of The Witcher 3, and the 2015 RPG reached a new Steam concurrent-player record. At the time of writing, more than 120,000 people were playing it on Steam, surpassing earlier highs from 2015, January 2020, and December 2022. The figure does not include players on GOG, Epic Games Store, PlayStation, Xbox, or Switch 2, and the update adds visual and gameplay improvements plus both expansions at no extra cost.
CD Projekt Red's free Remastered release has lifted The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt to a new Steam concurrent-player high. At the time of writing, over 120,000 users were in-game, placing it just outside Steam's ten most-played titles over the previous day.
That surpasses earlier Steam peaks: about 92,000 at its 2015 debut, 103,000 in January 2020 amid Netflix's Witcher series popularity, and 89,000 in December 2022 during its next-gen update. The count omits GOG, Epic Games Store, PlayStation, Xbox, and Switch 2 players. The free update adds visual and gameplay improvements and both expansions.
The free upgrade may draw returning players and newcomers to a decade-old RPG, extending its cultural visibility. That could benefit CD Projekt Red's franchise and Steam engagement metrics, while reminding publishers that free remasters can revive back catalogs. Players on other platforms may develop similar value expectations. It may also sustain interest around The Witcher as Netflix's series concludes.