A 2015 game stole gamescom 2026 — The Witcher 3 remaster swept the awards
An 11-year-old RPG dominated gamescom 2026 in a way few expected: The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Remastered won three awards, more than any other single title at the show. CD Projekt RED swept best trailer/announcement, best booth (jury), and best merchandise — all tied to the remaster and its upcoming Songs of the Past expansion. The launch date is September 29, 2026, and existing owners on PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Switch 2, and Battle.net get the upgrade free, per the CD Projekt Press Centre.
Geralt’s got some new relics… We're honored to have won #gamescom's awards for Best Booth (Jury Award), Best Merch, and Best Trailer (The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt - Remastered)!
— The Witcher (@thewitcher) August 28, 2026
We’re overwhelmed by the positive reception here on the show floor - your passion in the queue, love for… pic.twitter.com/wlPOE0BRA0
The remaster and what's new
The upgrade adds path tracing, a refined combat system, and a transmog system, according to DLCompare Witcher Details. Both expansions — Hearts of Stone and Blood & Wine — are included at no extra cost. A new expansion, Songs of the Past, is set for 2027, introducing a new realm called Letten with chain weapons and fresh abilities. No exact date or price for that DLC has been announced yet.
The fact that both jury members and general attendees voted the Witcher 3 trailer as their highlight says something about where the industry is right now. New IP rarely generated the same buzz at the show. SEGA also picked up three awards — anchored by sequels like Alien: Isolation 2 and Total War: Warhammer 40,000, which won best PC game.
Metro 2039 and the rest of the field
Ukrainian studio 4A Games' Metro 2039 led all titles with five nominations and won best visuals, per the UNN Metro Win Report. It beat out Forza Horizon 6 and Alien: Isolation 2 in that category despite being more than six months from release — the game is due in February 2027. The result signals real appetite for single-player, story-driven shooters at a time when live-service titles still dominate publisher roadmaps.
Elsewhere, Onimusha: Way of the Sword won best gameplay, Alien: Isolation 2 took best audio, and Rayman Legends Retold topped the Switch 2 category. Games Done Quick — the speedrunning charity that has raised over $50 million — received the special Heart of Gaming jury award, as confirmed by GoNintendo Awards 2026.
What to watch next
The Witcher 3 remaster arrives September 29, sitting comfortably in the Q4 window ahead of the holiday season. For anyone who already owns the game on PC, PS5, or Xbox, there's nothing to buy. The Songs of the Past expansion is the real unknown — a 2027 window with no price attached yet. That announcement, whenever it comes, will be the next signal of how much CDPR is betting on Geralt's continued pull.
