According to Wccftech, Michał Kiciński, the co-founder of both CD Projekt RED and the Good Old Games (GOG) store, has just acquired the GOG platform from CD Projekt. The announcement was made today in a blog post on GOG’s official site and on its X account. Kiciński stated that GOG’s mission remains unchanged: “Make Games Live Forever.” The FAQ for users clarifies that absolutely nothing changes for their accounts or libraries, and that the store’s DRM-free philosophy is “more central to GOG than ever.” Financially, GOG is not in trouble; this move is framed as a return to roots to protect the platform’s core values of freedom and independence.
Back To The Future
This is one of those corporate moves that actually feels… good? Genuine, even. It’s rare. A founder buying back his baby from the larger parent company isn’t usually a story about preserving soul, it’s often a financial Hail Mary. But here, the narrative from GOG is incredibly consistent: this is about focus. Kiciński helped create GOG over a decade ago on the simple, radical idea of selling old games without copy protection. Now, he’s essentially saying the corporate structure was a detour, and it’s time to get back on the original path.
And that path is what makes GOG unique in a sea of Steam clones. DRM-free isn’t just a checkbox for them; it’s the entire product. In an era where your game library on most platforms is a glorified long-term rental, GOG sells you a file. You own it. You can back it up on a hard drive from 2005. You can install it on ten machines. That’s powerful, and it appeals to a specific, dedicated audience. This acquisition signals a doubling down on that audience, rather than a desperate attempt to compete with the mega-stores on sheer volume.
What Actually Changes?
For you and me, the customers? Probably nothing day-to-day. Your library is safe. The store will look the same. They’ll still have sales. The big question is about trajectory. Under CD Projekt RED, GOG sometimes seemed like a side project that had to justify its existence, especially after the rocky launch of GOG Galaxy and the closure of their fair pricing program. Now, as an independent entity owned by its founder, does it get the freedom to be weirder? To chase preservation projects that aren’t profitable? To say “no” to trends that don’t fit its ethos?
I think the answer is yes. Look, Kiciński didn’t buy this to turn it into another Steam. He bought it because he believes in the niche. The blog post explicitly mentions reviving classics and keeping games playable over time. That’s not the language of mass-market growth. That’s the language of a curator. We’ll likely see more efforts like Fallout: London (a massive mod treated as a premium product) and a continued haven for games that other platforms might ban. It’s a bet on sustainability over scale.
A Lone Wolf In A Pack
Here’s the thing: this independence is a gamble. The PC storefront war is brutal. You’ve got Steam’s unbeatable dominance, Epic’s Fortnite-money-fueled freebies, and aggressive key sellers. Competing on “philosophy” is hard when the other guys are competing on price, features, and exclusive launches. GOG’s model inherently limits its catalog, as many big publishers still refuse to go DRM-free. Can a principled, niche storefront thrive long-term?
Basically, Kiciński is betting that a dedicated community, built on trust and a unique value proposition, is enough. He’s betting that in a digital world, the concept of true ownership will only become more valuable. It’s a refreshing stance. In a landscape where every platform wants to lock you in, GOG wants to set you free. Now, with its original pilot back at the controls, we’ll see if that freedom is truly the path to longevity, or a beautiful, idealistic dead end. Either way, it’s a fascinating experiment to watch.
