GOG reminds you that you can keep games you have already purchased forever – even if they disappear from the shop

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Since games have primarily been purchased and activated digitally, the question has arisen as to whether they really belong to you. While Steam now has a clear opinion on this, another platform is going its own way.

Don’t you own games? In times when games are predominantly purchased digitally, this question is asked more and more often. Because what if a platform like Steam shuts down its servers at some point? What if a publisher removes their game from the platform?

Steam itself recently made it clear that users only purchase one license when purchasing. So a kind of permission to use the game. However, this only applies as long as the license is not terminated. Some publishers have a clause that allows them to do this and simply stop operating a game. In the best case scenario, a company simply removes its game from the shop, but it remains in its own library.

In order to draw attention to this transparently, there is now a note when purchasing on Steam. But not all platforms do this. On GOG.com, a site that increasingly focuses on old games, users expect a different approach.

Battle Chest for Warcraft – With new versions for Warcraft 1, 2 and 3

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The Warcraft case shows how GOG works

What does GOG do? A current example shows well how the platform stands on the topic of “purchased games”. The original versions of Warcraft 1 & 2 can be purchased there, but only until December 13, 2024. They will then disappear from the shop.

The reason for this is the publication of the remastered versions of both games by the publisher Blizzard. The upgraded games cost significantly more compared to the original versions. In the Blizzard shop, battle.net, €39.99, while the GOG bundle with the originals only costs €13.69.

However, GOG makes it clear that anyone who bought the games from the store before the day they disappeared can still play them. There is even a small discount on the two titles until December 13th.

In addition, Warcraft 1 & 2 are part of GOG’s in-house “Preservation Program”. This is an initiative that takes care of the preservation of old games. They should be kept technically up to date and remain playable on newer systems. This also applies to titles that have long since disappeared from the shop.

The community celebrates GOG for this

What do the players say about this? Unsurprisingly, GOG’s announcement is met with great enthusiasm among users. Many players reacted to this on Reddit and praised the platform for its approach:

  • “This is why I love GOG,” writes user FederalBoxx.
  • “We need more providers and companies like GOG that value the preservation and ownership of games,” demands loneshadow066.
  • “GOG is the only digital distributor I buy games from. Your games are not tied to your account,” says Twin_Titans.
  • “I refuse to buy anything from Blizzard after they took my Warcraft 3 for their new version,” writes Apokolypse09.

    • Because with the remastered version of Warcraft 3 it was the case that the old, original version was no longer playable after the Reforged launch and was essentially “overwritten”. However, the game did not satisfy fans with its new version. This even went so far that Blizzard also reworked Part 3 as part of the new editions of Parts 1 & 2: Warcraft III: Reforged was “reforged” again – the update that everyone wanted

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