The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Remastered launched on September 29, and players have already found a way to bypass standard licensing rules on the Nintendo Switch 2. This discovery matters because it allows anyone with access to a physical copy of the original game to claim the upgraded version for free. The loophole effectively turns a single physical cartridge into a key for multiple digital accounts.
Borrowing a physical copy of the original game allows permanent digital upgrades on Switch 2
CD Projekt Red released the remaster as a free upgrade for existing owners on PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and the new Switch console. The entitlement system ties the digital upgrade to the user account rather than the physical media itself. Once a player claims the digital version, it remains permanently attached to their profile. This design choice means the physical cartridge can be passed to another person to claim their own copy.
The loophole works by borrowing a physical Switch cartridge of the original game. Users insert the disc to verify ownership and then download the remastered digital version. After the claim is processed, the physical cartridge is no longer needed for that account. The original game owners on other platforms do not face this specific issue because their entitlements are already digital.
The remaster broke the game's all-time Steam concurrent player record with over 120,000 players shortly after launch. CD Projekt Red has not commented on the Switch loophole, and the company is unlikely to patch it due to the system design. We noted similar balance and stability themes in the last The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Remastered update, but this issue is structural rather than gameplay-related.
The loophole remains open because the entitlement system does not revoke access once claimed. Players can continue to share physical cartridges to generate multiple digital licenses. This situation highlights a gap in the digital rights management for the Switch 2 release.
Source: TweakTown
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