It took almost 10 years, but REDkit modding tools are finally coming to The Witcher 3 and a test version on Steam is live now
Steam Workshop support is also on the way.
Back in 2015, CD Projekt released MODKit for The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, a mod tool that "enables [the] Witcher community to modify several aspects of the game to their own liking." As we noted at the time, however, it's not the mod tool: That'd be REDkit, a far more powerful piece of software that lets users create entirely new things in the game, rather than simply changing up what's already there.
CD Projekt had previously released REDkit for The Witcher 2, but said it was not planning to release it for The Witcher 3. What a difference nine years makes: Today CD Projekt began taking signups for a Witcher 3 REDkit playtest on Steam ahead of a planned launch later this year.
"The Witcher 3 REDkit is a comprehensive modding tool for The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt we're currently developing," CD Projekt said. "It is based on the same set of tools that were used by our developers to create the game and should allow for nearly limitless freedom in modding it. REDkit will be available free of charge for all owners of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt on PC."
This was actually announced in November 2023, but without any mention of what exactly was in store—only that it will "allow you to create your own experiences in the game by making something completely new or editing existing quests and content." That sure sounds like REDkit, although the name wasn't used at the time. As something of a traditionalist, I'm glad to see CD Projekt sticking with the convention.
Access to the test will be distributed in batches, and of course you'll need to have The Witcher 3 installed in order to use the editor. CD Projekt also warned that this is a beta, and while it hopes everything goes nice and smooth, you may run into issues. Any problems should be reported through CDPR's support site, and even if all goes well, feedback on the new REDkit is welcome.
The REDkit test will only be available on Steam, but it will work with any PC version of the game regardless of where it was purchased; when REDkit launches, it will be released on GOG and the Epic Games Store as well as Steam, and it will be free.
Separately, CD Projekt is also working on enabling Steam Workshop support in The Witcher 3, and you can sign up to give that a run too. The two tests "are related to each other, but completely separate," so you can jump into both or either one as you see fit.
To put your name in the hat for The Witcher 3 REDkit playtest, head around to Steam and click the "request access" button—you'll be notified via email if and when you get in. To join the Steam Workshop beta, join The Witcher 3 Workshop Beta Steam group, then opt in to the test branch on Steam: Right-click on The Witcher 3 in your library and select Properties, then go to the Betas tab and select "workshop_test" from the dropdown.
This will presumably be our last spin with a REDkit: After using its own REDengine for The Witcher 2 and 3 (the original used BioWare's Aurora Engine) and Cyberpunk 2077, CD Projekt has switched to Unreal Engine 5 for The Witcher 4.