Towards the tail end of 2022, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt received a noteworthy update that brought it into the realm of next-gen—or more accurately, the current-gen—at no additional cost to those who already owned the game on PS4, Xbox One, and PC. While the PC version basked in the glory of the most significant visual upgrades, that hardly deterred the diligent modding community. With access to comprehensive modding tools, these creators have taken to enhancing the game’s textures, meshes, and more. Standing out among these is Halk Hogan’s remarkable ‘The Witcher 3 HD Reworked Project NextGen Edition,’ which is undoubtedly setting a new standard.
The creator of this mod, which has been meticulously crafted over time, declares that it breathes new life into a substantial number of the game’s assets—spanning textures, models, materials, and beyond—amounting to thousands of changes. Considering the mod’s hefty download size, nearing 12GB, this claim doesn’t appear to be far-fetched. And for those seeking CD Projekt Red’s endorsement, rest assured, it’s right there.
Now, while quirky mods like transforming Geralt into a Centaur have their charm, the heart of the community leans towards experiencing the definitive edition of a celebrated open-world classic. With The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim from 2011 still thriving and constantly enriched by brilliant mods, it’s safe to say that fans of CD Projekt Red’s RPG gem will continue to see both lore-friendly and fantastical mods rolling out for years.
Before diving into the mod, make sure your PC can handle it, and do yourself a favor by checking out the engaging 15-minute video Halk Hogan recently shared. It showcases numerous enhancements to various models, textures, and assets:
[Watch on YouTube]
From the video, it’s clear that the mod isn’t just about making things sharper. The world itself feels more intricately detailed, with improvements visible even in the LOD elements. Despite the official update adding ray tracing and other advanced graphical features, it was surprising that some of the more fundamental aspects didn’t receive similar attention.
Thanks to the efforts of Halk Hogan, the game now feels more unified graphically. It’s essentially a ‘replacement’ mod, suggesting it’s likely compatible with mods targeting different aspects of the game. Plus, it works with older versions and has a minor impact on FPS—provided you have the extra video memory—making it less resource-heavy compared to demanding ENB presets.
Even if you’re playing on a console, revisiting the game to mark its upcoming tenth anniversary next year could be a perfect occasion, especially since the next installment in The Witcher series is just entering full-scale production and remains years away from release.
