CD Projekt Red released the 4.02 Update Patch Notes for The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt to fix performance issues on all major platforms. Learn more about the bug fixes, the game’s overall stability, and improved performance mode in this update!
The Witcher 3 - Update Patch 4.02 Notes
Developer CD Projekt Red has released the 4.02 Update Patch Notes for The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt in an effort to smooth out any performance issues and add significant quality-of-life improvements in the game. The patch will be available soon on PC, PlayStation, and Xbox.
Here’s a list of notable changes in 4.02 Update Patch Notes:
PC-Specific:
•Improved CPU core utilization in the DX 12 version.
•Restored horizon-based ambient occlusion. Players who had previously turned Ambient Occlusion off will need to do so again. You can find it in Options → Video → Graphics.
•Fixed an issue where the My Rewards
section was not localized in REDlauncher.
•Fixed an issue with a flickering landscape in Toussaint that occurred when NVIDIA HairWorks was disabled.
•Fixed an issue related to particle optimization which could result in temporary stuttering.
Console-Specific:
•Improved Performance Mode on next-gen consoles.
•Fixed an issue where characters could become slightly blurry during dialogues and cutscenes on PlayStation 5.
•Fixed an issue related to memory usage in Ray Tracing Mode which could result in crashes on Xbox Series X.
•Whatsoever a Man Soweth... - The game will no longer crash if Geralt runs away from Shani after starting the conversation on next-gen consoles.
•Fixed an issue where quicksaves couldn't be loaded when using cross progression on Xbox One.
•Added two missing Top notch swords!
on previous-gen consoles.
•Fixed an issue with overwriting manual saves where in some circumstances the oldest gamesave was deleted on PlayStation 5.
•Addressed performance issues in Beauclair and Novigrad that occurred after loading a gamesave.
Visual-PC and Next-Gen Exclusive:
•Improved immersion of water appearance by adding refraction to SSR and ray-traced reflections.
•Fixed a visual issue with brick textures where black artifacts covered stone arches.
•Added a Motion Blur slider. It can be found in Options → Video → Graphics.
Quest & Gameplay - Available on all platforms:
•Battle Preparations - Fixed the lack of a dialogue option that would progress the quest during the objective Let Avallac'h know everything's ready.
•Reason of State - Fixed an issue where the door to the warehouse could become permanently locked if the player knocked, entered and then immediately left the building.
•Scavenger Hunt: Cat School Gear Upgrade Diagrams Part 1 - Fixed an issue where the quest could stay active even after the diagrams were looted.
•Fixed an issue where trying to start a New Game+ on an incompatible save would block the player from starting the expansions in standalone mode until the game was restarted.
Localization - Available on all platforms:
•Fixed an issue with the Korean localization of Ciri's and Geralt's Gwent card descriptions.
•Fixed punctuation issues in Arabic localization.
•Updated Traditional Chinese font.
On both the PlayStation and Xbox versions, the 4.02 update patch will fix bugs such as being unable to load quicksaves when using cross progression on Xbox One, reoccurring crashes as a result of memory usage while using ray tracing on Xbox Series X, and blurry characters during dialogue or cutscenes in the PS5. The update will also resolve technical problems for PC users, including crashes, severe frame drops, and stuttering caused by the next-gen update released on December 14, 2022.
Why is CD Projekt Red Updating The Witcher 3?
Rebuilding a Reputation and Sequel Hype
Players are curious on why CD Projekt Red continues to provide updates for The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, given that it’s nearly eight years old. It's possible that they are trying to hype the franchise for the upcoming sequel, Witcher 4: The Witcher Polaris. Though it is at least three years away.
CD Projekt Red has a very mixed track record. Sure, The Witcher 3 was amazing, but Cyberpunk was a glitchy mess on release. Perhaps CD Projekt Red is trying to show just how long they are willing to support their games to regain some good faith from players. Either way actions speak louder than words, and this is a step in the right direction.
