First Look at The Witcher 3: Songs of the Past Gameplay: Silver Chain, Search for Dandelion, and the Letten Region

At Gamescom 2026, CD Projekt RED and Fool’s Theory held a closed gameplay demonstration of the expansion The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt — Songs of the Past. Journalists were shown a prologue featuring the search for a missing Dandelion, the northern region of Letten, and Geralt’s new secondary weapon — a combat silver chain.

The story will serve as a direct narrative bridge between the events of the original game and the upcoming The Witcher IV.

Setting off from the de Lettenhove Estate and a Focus on Friendship

The plot begins the morning after a wild Belleteyn celebration: Geralt wakes up with a hangover to discover Dandelion missing. His investigation leads him to the de Lettenhove family estate in the region of Letten (on the border of Kaedwen and Kovir), where he meets the bard’s family — his grandmother and his cousin Lilla.

The search puts the characters on the trail of a family curse tied to the mad Count Humbert de Lettenhove and an ancient well guarded by a new boss, the Sleeping Knight.

The developers emphasized that the expansion focuses entirely on Geralt and Dandelion’s friendship, stepping away from sorceresses and political intrigue.

Combat Silver Chain and Time Slowdown

The main tactical addition to combat is a silver chain wrapped around the witcher’s forearm. The weapon references Andrzej Sapkowski’s original books and the opening cinematic of the first 2007 game, where Geralt bound a striga with a chain.

According to PC Gamer, the chain significantly expands tactical options:

• Allows players to pull individual archers out of crowds and keep monsters at a distance;
• A targeted throw activates a time-slowdown effect (similar to the crossbow) to break shields and armor;
• During the fight against the Sleeping Knight, the chain was used to break the boss’s defensive stance before a sword strike.

Letten’s Living Ecosystem, New Monsters, and Romance

According to GamesRadar+, the towns and villages of Letten feature a more intricate life simulation: shepherds herd flocks of sheep, peasant carts travel between farmsteads, and children play in the streets. The bestiary includes swarm-based creatures called Swarmions and giant poisonous centipedes.

Our first look at gameplay of Witcher 3 Songs of the Past after the Belletyen festival! (from CDPR live stream right now) pic.twitter.com/51pVzaJX42

— Malachi (@MalPlayingGames) August 26, 2026

According to GosuGamers, during the official livestream, the developers confirmed the addition of a new full romance option.

The Witcher 3: Songs of the Past will release in 2027 on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S.