A fan ofTheWitcher 3: Wild Hunthas uncovered an odd bug in the game which seemingly drains all the water from the game. With a majority of the playable map inThe Witcher 3consisting of deep and expansive bodies of water, this unforeseen glitch completely transforms the game world.
Initially released in May 2015, CD Projekt Red’sThe Witcher 3received a substantial facelift with its June 23, 2025, next-gen update. Featuring an abundance of new graphical features and quality-of-life improvements, including support for ray-tracing and DLSS, the 2015 Game Awards game of the year has never been a more complete package. Coming off the heels of a massive announcement in October that CD Projekt Red is currently at work on four titles set in theWitcheruniverse, and just before the December 25 release of Netflix’sThe Witcher: Blood Originshow, fans of Andrzej Sapkowski’s dark fantasy world of monsters and monster-slayers are currently feasting on content.
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The December next-gen update forThe Witcher 3appears to have hit several snags upon its release. Bugs are part and parcel with new games and updates, and CD Projekt Red’s most recent outing was not immune. Among issues with PC optimization and non-functioning DLSS, players are taking to Reddit to share their peculiar visual and audio bugs. User raabiiins posted what might be the most transformative of these bugs, somehow finding themselves in a game world bereft of water. With rivers reduced to rocky glens and Oceans barren plains, for rabiiins,the world ofThe Witcher 3has become a stranger, more arid place.
Fan response to the state of the game following the next-gen update has been mixed. For some unlucky gamers on PC,The Witcher 3is borderline unplayable. CD Projekt Red took to Twitter on December 14 to assure affected users that a hotfix is on the way, which will hopefully alleviate most of the issues. Optimistic commenters on rabiiin’s specific bug noted the opportunity a waterlessWitcher 3presents. For a game with so many secrets and side-objectives submerged in the briny depths, being able to traverse the ocean floors atop Roach could make finding them all a trifle.
Despite the buggy release ofThe Witcher 3’snext-gen update, fans are confident the game will be patched into a relatively bug-free state, as well as grateful that what could have been packaged as a remaster with a price-point has been released as a free update to all current owners ofThe Witcher 3.Whether for a first or seventh playthrough, now is agreat time to dive intoThe Witcher 3.
The Witcher 3: Wild Huntis available now for PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
