The Witcher 3: Songs of the Past’s Letten setting “felt like a really natural way to go”, CD Projekt Red story director says

More than a decade after The Witcher 3 first shipped, CD Projekt Red has quietly confirmed that its upcoming expansion Songs of the Past is no April Fools’ stunt and will stand as Geralt of Rivia’s final chapter in the series. In a rare interview, story director Marcin Blacha — who served in that same role and as lead writer on the original game — opened up about why the DLC travels to an unfamiliar new region called Letten, though he remained stubbornly tight-lipped about much else surrounding the White Wolf’s last hurrah.

The expansion rewrites Geralt’s concluding arc. Where Blood and Wine once closed out the witcher’s tale in the sunlit vineyards of Toussaint, Songs of the Past now takes that honour, dragging Geralt back into action at the request of his old friend Dandelion. Blacha was most willing to discuss the setting itself, describing Letten as a place steeped in personal history for the bard yet entirely new territory for both characters and players alike.

A homeland reclaimed

“Letten is the homeland of Geralt’s dear friend Dandelion, and it is because of him Geralt decides to head out onto the Path once again,” Blacha explained. “The setting is unfamiliar to Geralt, and to players, and while Dandelion grew up here, he hasn’t been back for a long time. It is only after he receives some urgent family business that he decides to return, but he needs Geralt’s support as a friend.”

“I’d say this new setting helps do one very important thing for us: lets us tell new stories. We rarely see Dandelion like we will in Songs of the Past, forced to face up to responsibility, and in turn, we get to see how that impacts Geralt as a character as well. With a new region, there are new stories, and a lot of potential for players to discover a new side of a game they know so well. For us, Letten felt like a really natural way to go.”

Marcin Blacha, CD Projekt Red story director

The emphasis on unfamiliar lands appears deliberate. When pressed on whether any established Geralt locations were also in consideration, the studio’s tone suggested it had its eyes firmly fixed on uncharted corners of the Continent rather than revisiting familiar ground.

A mystery kept under wraps

If Blacha was generous about the setting, he grew noticeably more guarded when questioned about the “long-dormant evil” Geralt confronts in Letten. Asked whether the foe echoes threats from earlier installments or carries personal significance predating the expansion’s events, he offered only that it is “certainly a new challenge for Geralt” and “a core part of the mystery of the region”. Players already know a curse is involved and have spotted enemies spliced with trees in promotional imagery, but CD Projekt Red shows no sign of revealing more before release.

This reticence stands in contrast to how the studio promoted its earlier expansions. Blood and Wine’s Steam synopsis promised players they would “unravel the horrifying secret behind a beast terrorizing the kingdom”, hinting at nocturnal threats that clearly pointed toward vampires, alongside tourney knights and a world of “fairytales gone wrong”. Hearts of Stone went even further, detailing Geralt’s task to overcome Olgierd von Everec, an immortal bandit captain hired by a soul-stealing mirror merchant — all without fully spoiling its twists.

Holding back the details

The point is that CD Projekt Red demonstrably can share plenty about a Witcher 3 expansion while still protecting its surprises. Yet when it comes to Songs of the Past, Blacha declined to be drawn on whether the DLC contains deeper links to the first Witcher game beyond the chain weapon featured prominently in marketing, and refused to confirm any returning characters apart from Dandelion — though he did say he was “looking forward to seeing players’ reactions to the new characters”.

Perhaps most tellingly, Blacha politely sidestepped a direct question about whether Blood and Wine lacked something this new final chapter could now deliver. The studio’s public comments on losing its status as Geralt’s swan song have been equally measured; Blacha told The Guardian the decision “was certainly something [the studio] thought through”, adding that Dandelion’s plea served as a fitting hook to pull the witcher away from his peaceful vineyard life — but expanded little further.

Looking Ahead

For now, CD Projekt Red continues to keep Songs of the Past closely under wraps. With no release date confirmed and few concrete details beyond Letten’s premise, players are left to trust that this is a purposeful farewell rather than an afterthought bolted onto Geralt’s road. For an audience already deeply invested in one of gaming’s most beloved sagas, the studio may yet find itself pressed to explain why those twin swords must come out of their sheaths once more — all these years on.