A New Owner, But The Same GOG You Know
GOG has always been a special place in PC gaming. It is the DRM free storefront where you can grab classic shooters from the 90s, old RPGs, and indie gems without worrying about launchers, online checks, or subscriptions. Until now, it was owned by CD Projekt Red, the studio behind The Witcher and Cyberpunk 2077.
That has just changed. GOG is being acquired by Michal Kicinski, one of the original co founders of both CD Projekt and GOG. So while the company is changing hands, it is actually going back to someone who helped build it in the first place.
For everyday PC gamers, the important part is that nothing you already own is going anywhere. Your library stays intact, the store stays online, and GOG is promising to stick to its core philosophy of freedom, independence, and real ownership of the games you buy.
In other words, this is not a reset. It is more like GOG doubling down on what made it different from Steam, Epic, or other stores in the first place.
Doubling Down On Classic PC Games
GOG says this new chapter is about going harder on three things:
- Preserving classic PC games from the past
- Highlighting standout modern titles that respect players
- Helping create new games with a real retro spirit
One of the biggest challenges in PC gaming is simply keeping old games running on modern hardware and operating systems. Between Windows updates, driver changes, and new GPUs and CPUs, a game that ran fine in 2004 can be almost impossible to start today without serious tweaking.
GOG has already been working on that with its Preservation Program. That is where GOG’s own developers step in to patch, wrap, or configure older games so they still run smoothly on modern Windows machines. Think of it as a compatibility layer and tech support department dedicated to retro PC gaming.
According to the announcement, GOG plans to take this even further in 2026 and 2027 with what it calls more ambitious rescue missions. Details are coming later, but the idea is clear. GOG wants to be the place where old games are not just sold, but actually maintained so they keep working on today’s and tomorrow’s PCs.
For players this means more classic titles that are:
- Ready to run on modern systems without manual tweaking
- Packaged with quality of life fixes like resolution options and controller support where possible
- Less likely to simply disappear because no one wants to update them
If you are building or upgrading a gaming PC with the idea of exploring retro libraries, this kind of long term support matters just as much as raw hardware power. There is not much point in having a powerful rig if half the games you grew up with refuse to boot.
CD Projekt Stays Close And Epic Exclusivity Stays Away
Even though CD Projekt is no longer the owner, the relationship is not ending. CD Projekt’s current and upcoming games are still planned to release on GOG. That includes the next Witcher title, sometimes called Witcher 4, which is being developed in Unreal Engine.
This is also a quiet but welcome reassurance on the exclusivity front. CD Projekt has a deal with Epic Games to use Unreal Engine for its open world projects, but that does not mean future Witcher games will be locked to the Epic Games Store. GOG remains a home for those big RPGs on PC, so if you prefer DRM free copies or just like keeping your library in one place, that option is safe for now.
A Haven For Games That Do Not Fit Anywhere Else
Another interesting angle is what GOG might become for more experimental or controversial games. Recently, an indie psychological horror game called Horses was rejected by both Steam and the Epic Games Store over policy issues about inappropriate content. The developer claimed they were still within the rules, but both major platforms pulled the plug anyway.
GOG, on the other hand, accepted the game and it quickly climbed the top sellers list on the store. That move fits with GOG’s stated focus on freedom and user choice. While it still has its own content guidelines, the store appears more open to hosting games that do not fit the big platform mold.
There is a growing tension in PC gaming between platform control and player freedom. As storefronts like Steam and Epic tighten or adjust their content rules, some games will inevitably be pushed out. GOG is positioning itself as a kind of safety net or alternative home for those projects, especially when they are lawful but simply outside what larger companies want to host.
For PC gamers this means more variety and fewer situations where a game just vanishes because one major corporate platform decided it did not like it. As long as your PC can run it and you are comfortable with the content, GOG wants to give you the option to play it.
With a co founder back at the helm, a stronger focus on preservation, and a clear stance on ownership and content freedom, GOG is setting itself up as the PC gamers store for the long haul. As we head toward 2026 and 2027, the real test will be how well those ambitious rescue missions keep classic games alive on the ever evolving hardware and operating systems inside our gaming rigs.
Original article and image: https://www.pcgamer.com/gaming-industry/gog-crawls-out-from-under-cd-projekt-red-with-a-new-owner-and-teases-ambitious-plans-for-classic-game-rescue-missions-starting-next-year/
