CD Projekt Red’s Gamescom booth setup has inadvertently kicked off the latest wave of speculative fury surrounding The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. Leaked images (on Reddit) of the studio’s partially constructed floor display showcase brand-new key art for Songs of the Past, hinting that the upcoming expansion will finally bring the long-discussed Belleteyn festival into the game.
The imagery depicts a night-time gathering along a lakeside, complete with floating candles, flower wreaths, lit boats, and a distinctly communal atmosphere. For longtime readers of Andrzej Sapkowski’s prose and seasoned RPG veterans alike, the visual cues immediately point toward Belleteyn. The springtime fertility festival holds substantial lore significance within the franchise—it is not only a major cultural event in the Continent, but it also shares a birthdate with both Ciri and Yennefer of Vengerberg. Up to this point, Belleteyn has existed primarily in dialogue and written lore rather than playable space.
Co-developed alongside Fool’s Theory, a studio staffed by former Witcher 3 leads, Songs of the Past was originally slated for a 2026 launch before being quietly pushed back to 2027 to allow for extra polish. The expansion is rumored to take Geralt toward the coastal city of Cidaris, featuring prominent narrative involvement from the bard Dandelion. While details remain scarce ahead of CD Projekt Red’s official presentation, the promotional backdrop confirms that the studio is leaning heavily into established universe lore to ground this addition.
This expansion represents a rare, late-lifecycle return to a decade-old RPG, serving as a narrative bridge while full development continues on The Witcher 4. Given that the upcoming mainline sequel shifts focus toward an older Ciri, Songs of the Past could easily stand as CD Projekt Red’s final narrative bow for Geralt of Rivia as a primary protagonist. Full details regarding quest structures and narrative scope are expected once Gamescom officially opens its doors.
