Highlights

  • Modding has been a key part of PC gaming since its inception, and even beloved games like The Witcher 3 can benefit from mods.
  • CD Projekt Red is releasing an official mod editor for The Witcher 3 in 2024, allowing players to create new experiences and edit existing content.
  • The success of The Witcher 3's mod editor could lead to future CD Projekt Red games also including mod editors, expanding the possibilities for player-created content.

Modding has been an integral part of the PC gaming landscape essentially since its very conception, with some of the very first PC software and hardware coming from projects that would ultimately be classed as "mods." Some of the most well-regarded games of the modern age owe their very existence to modding, with games like Team Fortress 2, DayZ, Counter-Strike, and even Dota 2 all originating as mods for other games. Modding is just part and parcel of the modern PC scene. Even if a game is widely beloved and critically acclaimed, there's always room for mods, and that's true for The Witcher 3.

Launched all the way back in 2015, The Witcher 3 was the game that finally made CD Projekt Red a household name across the whole world. While CD Projekt Red's translations and ports made it a well-known studio in Poland, and The Witcher 1 and 2 were fairly successful, it was The Witcher 3 that finally gave the studio the praise it deserved, and in the process made The Witcher a well-known franchise in North America. Since then, The Witcher has only continued to grow more popular, thanks in no small part to the Netflix show, and fans are still pouring hours into The Witcher 3 even all these years later. The Witcher 3 has remained so popular, in fact, that CD Projekt Red is releasing an official mod editor for the game sometime next year.

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The Witcher 3's Mod Editor Explained

A few weeks ago, CD Projekt Red took to Twitter to announce that an official mod editor is coming to The Witcher 3 in 2024. The post stated that the mod editor will only be coming to PC players, though it will be completely free. The post also gave a very brief rundown of what players will be able to do with this Witcher 3 mod editor, stating that it will allow users to "create [their] own experiences in the game by making something new or editing existing quests and content." Presumably, players will have a vast array of Witcher 3 assets at their disposal, all ready to be used freely and clearly thanks to this official mod editor and its accompanying tools.

What The Witcher 3's Mod Editor Could Mean for the Game's Future

Modding has become the lifeblood of some of the PC's longest-running games, managing to push their lifespan far beyond original expectations. Skyrim, along with most other Bethesda RPGs, is the perfect example of this. Skyrim originally launched in 2011, well over a decade ago, and while its base game content is admittedly very replayable, it's the game's modding community that's kept it so relevant all these years later. From new quests to new NPC companions to completely new mechanics and features that essentially change the game entirely, Skyrim's mods have become the main reason to play the game in 2023.

The same thing could easily be true for The Witcher 3. First released back in 2015, The Witcher 3 has been around for over eight years now, and many of those who have a passing interest in the franchise have given it a go during that time. And while long-time Witcher fans have continued to dive in and discover everything the game has to offer, there's still a limit that can be reached. But with official mods, that limit might be removed, with fans being able to create their own quests and adventures.

What The Witcher 3's Mod Editor Could Mean for Other CD Projekt Red Projects

CD Projekt Red currently has a lot of irons in the fire. Along with a Cyberpunk 2077 sequel, CD Projekt has several Witcher games currently in development, from a fully-fledged Witcher 3 sequel to a multiplayer-focused spinoff. If this mod editor for The Witcher 3 turns out to be a big success for CD Projekt Red, then it's not too far from the realm of possibility to assume that mod editors could be included in these future CD Projekt Red games as well, though likely not anytime soon after their initial release.