Does The Witcher 3 Remaster Look Worse Than the Original?

CD Projekt RED shared an official preview of The Witcher: Wild Hunt Remastered, and social media reactions were quick to follow. Although the new version promises a major technical leap, a portion of the community claims that the original game maintains a superior visual finish in certain details.

The CD Projekt RED Comparison That Sparked the Debate

The image shown by the studio places Geralt of Rivia in a swamp facing several Drowners. At first glance, the remaster boasts a higher level of detail on the Witcher's armor and environmental elements.

However, several players on X (Twitter) noticed changes in environmental effects that raised doubts:

• Water reflections: In the original version, the orange glow of the Igni sign can be seen bouncing off the water beneath enemies. Although the original effect was blurred, in the remaster with ray tracing, this reflection practically disappears.
• Fog treatment: The 2015 game showed small, well-defined fog clouds near the ground. The new version changes this design to a more atmospheric fog dispersed toward the background.

These differences led some users to ask if the images had been accidentally swapped, arguing that the classic version showed better water and fog effects.

Technical Improvements vs. Lighting Changes

Despite specific criticisms, the update is not inferior on all fronts. The comparison reveals clear progress in several graphic aspects:

• Higher definition in the materials of Geralt's armor.
• New technologies applied to water behavior and lighting.
• More complex shading thanks to ray tracing.

The point of contention arises because ray tracing completely changes how light is cast in the scene. By applying these technologies, certain visual effects no longer look exactly as they did in the original release.

Are you sure you didn't swap the footage around? pic.twitter.com/NwNfl4Y1Ct

— Serhii Y. (@desugar_64) September 23, 2026

Will You Be Able to Keep the Classic Version of The Witcher 3?

If you prefer the visual look of the original game, availability will depend on the platform you play on:

1. On PC: You will be able to select and roll back to the previous version of the game at any time if the new aesthetics don't convince you.
2. On consoles: A rollback feature has not been confirmed, so the alternative to keep the game intact is to disable automatic updates.

The new version of The Witcher: Wild Hunt will be available on September 29, and will allow you to transfer your save files to continue your adventure without losing progress.

What do you think of the game's new look? Do you think the remaster improves the experience, or do you prefer the atmosphere of the original version?

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