The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt has received another patch for PC, PlayStation, and Xbox. Only a couple of hotfixes were previously released following the next-gen update for The Witcher 3, making this the first official patch since version 4.0 arrived.
The long awaited next-gen patch for The Witcher 3 was celebrated by critics and players alike, especially for how much was included with the free update. Alongside the obligatory improvements to graphical fidelity, a performance mode, and ray-tracing, CD Projekt Red introduced brand-new content, a photo-mode (albeit exclusively for PC and new consoles), and an alternative method for casting Signs. However, the launch did not come without its drawbacks. Reports of technical issues, stuttering, and a reduction in performance began to flood in shortly after version 4.0 went live, especially on PC.
Two hotfixes before the New Year managed to rectify many of the issues borne out of the patch, but players were still noting problems such as an inability to properly interact with Avallac'h during the "Battle Preparations" quest - rather significant if anyone was hoping to complete the game. Patch 4.01 is now live and supposedly fixes that very bug. The update was teased last week when CD Projekt Red provided a helpful graphic that presented the distinctions between each new physical copy of the game.
The patch notes state that an issue with Screen Space Reflections on PC has now been resolved, meaning that the setting should be working as intended. Furthermore, a new performance mode for ray-traced global illumination has been added, which aims to improve the frame rate. Both of the aforementioned changes are exclusive to PC. On console, players should no longer be able to "create a higher amount of saves" than the limit, and Screen Space Reflections quality on next-gen consoles should be improved.
Beyond those improvements, there are a variety of fixes that pertain to quests and cutscenes, which will be welcomed by the thousands replaying the conclusion to Geralt's journey. Players have once again been enthralled by the Continent, discovering a host of additions and novel secrets across Velen, Novigrad, and Skellige. But although it may be the end for Geralt, that is not so for The Witcher, as CD Projekt Red have announced several projects are in development for the franchise.
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is available now for PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.