Open-world games are built to be expanded, and their best content often arrives a year or two after launch. That makes “bundles” one of the best ways to buy them, but the word covers three very different things: complete editions that package a game with all its expansions, subscriptions that rent you a rotating library, and limited-time bundles that bundle stores run for a few weeks at a time. This guide covers the best of each, and what to check before you buy.
Short answer: for most people, a complete edition is the best open-world bundle, because it’s sold year-round and includes the expansions you’d otherwise buy separately. Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt (now sold as Remastered) and Elden Ring’s Shadow of the Erdtree Edition are the standouts. On PC, Humble and Fanatical run rotating bundles worth watching, and on Xbox, Game Pass works like a bundle you rent.
What to check before you buy a bundle
Check exactly which expansions are included, whether the console disc actually contains them, and whether you already own part of the bundle.
- What’s included. “Complete” usually means every expansion released so far, not ones announced for the future.
- Disc versus download. Some physical editions put only the base game on the disc, with the expansion as a download code. If you buy a used copy, make sure the code hasn’t been redeemed.
- What you already own. If you have the base game, compare the expansion’s price on its own against the bundle; buying it separately is often cheaper, but not always during sales.
- Platform. Make sure the edition matches your console generation; some games sell separate PS4 and PS5 or Xbox One and Series versions.
The best complete editions
Best overall: Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition
The base game plus the Phantom Liberty expansion in one package, with all the updates that turned the game’s reputation around since its rough 2020 launch.
Cyberpunk 2077’s Night City is one of the densest open worlds available, and Phantom Liberty, a spy-thriller expansion set in a new district, is widely considered some of its best content. The Ultimate Edition bundles both, so you don’t need to buy the expansion separately later. One catch on PS5: the physical box includes Phantom Liberty as a redeemable code rather than on the disc, so with a used copy, check that the code is unused and matches your PlayStation account’s region. It’s the natural pick for anyone who likes GTA’s modern-city setting; our guide to the best games to play while waiting for GTA6 covers how long the story takes.
Platforms: PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC. Price: $59.99 for the PS5 version at GameStop (October 8, 2026), and it goes on sale regularly.
Check Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition on Amazon
Best for a huge fantasy world: The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt (Remastered)
The full game with both of its expansions, Hearts of Stone and Blood and Wine. It’s now sold as The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Remastered, which arrived September 29, 2026 as a free upgrade for existing owners.
The Witcher 3’s two expansions add dozens of hours, and Blood and Wine is practically a sequel in its own right, with a whole new region. Current digital versions include both, and older boxes labeled Complete Edition also contain both expansions. CD Projekt Red released The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Remastered on September 29, 2026 as a free upgrade for owners on PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X|S. A new paid expansion, Songs of the Past, has been announced for 2027 and will be sold separately, so “complete” here means everything released so far.
Platforms: PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC, and others. Price: $49.99 regular price on Steam, the PlayStation Store and the Xbox Store (October 8, 2026), and it’s regularly discounted.
Check The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt on Amazon
Best for a challenge: Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree Edition
Elden Ring plus its large Shadow of the Erdtree expansion. It’s the most demanding pick here, and you can’t enter the expansion until you’ve beaten two major bosses in the main game.
Elden Ring’s open world is famous for rewarding exploration, and Shadow of the Erdtree adds a big new map area. The Shadow of the Erdtree Edition includes both the base game and the expansion, and launched at $79.99. To reach the new area, you first have to defeat Starscourge Radahn and Mohg, Lord of Blood. On PS5 and Xbox Series X, the physical disc contains only the base game, and the expansion comes as a download code (the Xbox Series S has no disc drive, so it’s digital-only there). If you already own Elden Ring, compare the expansion’s price on its own ($39.99 at launch) with the bundle.
Platforms: PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC. Price: $79.99 at launch (June 2024), and still $79.99 on Steam on October 8, 2026; it goes on sale periodically.
Check Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree Edition on Amazon
For GTA fans: Grand Theft Auto V
The full GTA V package gets you both the story and GTA Online, and on PC, new purchases include both the Enhanced and Legacy versions plus the Criminal Enterprise Starter Pack.
If you somehow haven’t played GTA V, it’s still the best way to prepare for GTA6, and it bundles two games in one: the single-player story and GTA Online. On PC, every new purchase includes both GTA V Enhanced and GTA V Legacy, so older PCs are covered too. One catch: the Criminal Enterprise Starter Pack has to be claimed on a GTA Online character in Legacy, and that character then migrated to Enhanced; characters created directly in Enhanced don’t get it. Rockstar says the cash can take 7 to 10 days to arrive, so wait for it before migrating, since migration is one-time. Also make sure you’re buying the full game; GTA Online is also sold on its own. Our guides to GTA Online’s best heists and making money fast pick up from there.
Platforms: PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC. Price: varies by platform and frequently on sale.
Check Grand Theft Auto V on Amazon
Also consider
Horizon Forbidden West Complete Edition (PS5 and PC) bundles the game with its Burning Shores expansion, and on PS5 the physical version includes both on its two discs, which is handy if you prefer owning everything on disc. Burning Shores unlocks after you finish the main story. For a crime-series collection, Mafia: Trilogy packages the Definitive Editions of the first three Mafia games.
Subscriptions: bundles you rent
Xbox Game Pass and PlayStation Plus’s higher tiers give you a rotating library of games for a monthly fee. They’re great value if you play a lot, but games leave the library, and you lose access when you stop paying.
On Xbox and PC, Game Pass includes some big open-world games from day one; Forza Horizon 6, for example, launched straight into Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass in May 2026. PlayStation Plus Extra and Premium offer a rotating catalog on PS5. Two things to know before treating one as a bundle. First, catalog access usually covers the base game only, so expansions are often a separate purchase; Forza Horizon 6’s Game Pass version, for example, is the Standard Edition. Second, if you buy an expansion for a catalog game and that game later leaves the service or your subscription lapses, you lose access to the expansion until you own the base game. Prices have also changed several times since 2025, so check the current price before subscribing.
Rotating PC bundles: Humble and Fanatical
Humble and Fanatical run limited-time bundles of PC games that can include several open-world titles for less than the price of one. Both are authorized stores, so their keys come through official channels.
These bundles are limited-time offers with varying end dates, so there’s no permanent “best” one, but they’re worth checking before you buy a PC game at full price. Humble’s bundles let you choose how much to pay, with tiers that unlock more games at higher prices, and part of each purchase goes to charity. Fanatical runs build-your-own bundles where you pick a set number of games from a list. Both are on IsThereAnyDeal’s list of authorized stores; our guide to where to buy game keys safely explains why that matters, and our deals guide covers how to tell whether a bundle price is actually good.
Quick comparison
| Bundle | What’s included | Platforms | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition | Base game, Phantom Liberty (code in the PS5 box) | PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC | $59.99 (GameStop, Oct 8, 2026) |
| The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt (Remastered) | Base game, Hearts of Stone, Blood and Wine | PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC | $49.99 regular |
| Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree Edition | Base game, Shadow of the Erdtree | PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC | $79.99 at launch |
| Grand Theft Auto V | Story Mode, GTA Online (PC: Enhanced and Legacy) | PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC | Varies |
| Game Pass / PS Plus | Rotating library, rented monthly | Xbox and PC / PlayStation | Check current price |
| Humble / Fanatical bundles | Limited-time, contents vary | PC | Varies |
Who this isn’t for
If you already own the base game, a complete edition usually isn’t the best buy; compare the expansion’s price on its own first. And if you only play one game at a time and finish it, a subscription can cost more than simply buying that game, especially once it goes on sale.
Bottom line
For a permanent purchase, a complete edition is the safest open-world bundle: Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition for a modern city, The Witcher 3 for a huge fantasy world, and Elden Ring’s Shadow of the Erdtree Edition for a challenge. If you play a lot of different games, a subscription can be better value, and on PC, check Humble and Fanatical before paying full price.
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