GOG.com, which was previously called Good Old Games, is a website that sells video games and movies online. It is run by a company named GOG sp. z o.o., which was fully owned by CD Projekt until December 2025. This company is based in Warsaw, Poland. In December 2025, CD Projekt sold GOG to Michał Kiciński, one of the people who started the company.

GOG.com provides video games that do not require special software to play, called DRM-free games. These games can be downloaded and played on computers running Windows, macOS, or Linux operating systems.

History

During the communist government rule in Poland, known as the Polish People's Republic, copyright laws were not strongly enforced, and copyright violations were very common in electronic media. After the government changed, people in Poland still had similar views about copyright, making it hard for businesses that sold legal electronic media. Pirated and illegal copies were often sold in open markets next to official boxed copies, but at much lower prices.

CD Projekt was started in 1994 by Marcin Iwiński and Michał Kiciński to help bring legal sales of foreign game titles to Poland. They knew it would be difficult to compete with pirated copies. They obtained rights to import games from foreign companies and, when possible, added translations for text and voice lines by taking apart the game's code. They packaged the games with localized manuals and other physical items, hoping these extras would encourage people to buy legal copies instead of pirated ones.

Their first major success was with the game Baldur's Gate (1998), which sold 18,000 copies on its first day in Poland. Because of this, the publisher of Baldur's Gate, Interplay, asked CD Projekt to do a similar version of Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance, a console game released in 2001. Since CD Projekt had only worked on computer games before, they agreed to try porting it, but the project did not finish. However, this experience showed them they could create their own games, which eventually led to the rights to develop The Witcher video game series. Their focus on game distribution later decreased.

In the 2000s, digital distribution of games grew, along with the use of DRM (Digital Rights Management) to control access to games. This caused some frustration among players. CD Projekt saw an opportunity to use their past experience in distributing games to offer DRM-free versions of classic games through digital platforms. They used their knowledge of reverse engineering to make older games work on modern systems and provide many language options. This helped them attract buyers who might otherwise download pirated games for free. They created a new company, Good Old Games, in 2008 to do this.

Their first challenge was finding a publisher willing to work with them. Many publishers were not familiar with CD Projekt. Their first big opportunity came from Interplay Entertainment, who knew of their past work and allowed them to sell games through their service. Later, Ubisoft also joined, which helped Good Old Games convince other publishers to offer older titles through their platform.

From September 19 to 22, 2010, the GOG.com website was temporarily disabled. Messages on the site and Twitter said the service was not being shut down and that updates would follow. A later message explained the site was closed temporarily "due to business and technical reasons." Some journalists believed the shutdown might be related to GOG.com’s decision to sell DRM-free games.

On September 22, 2010, GOG.com revealed the shutdown was a marketing trick to promote the site’s new version. The company’s leaders apologized for misleading people and explained they had limited marketing funds, so they used the fake closure to create excitement. The site returned on September 23, 2010, with an improved design and new features. During a live event, the co-founder and manager dressed as monks to apologize for the trick. The relaunch helped attract new customers, and GOG.com later offered previously unreleased games like Baldur's Gate and Planescape: Torment.

In March 2012, Good Old Games expanded to include "AAA" games and independent titles, and the site was renamed GOG.com. In October 2012, GOG.com added support for OS X, including games like The Witcher and The Witcher 2 made by CD Projekt Red. They also collected user feedback and planned to support Linux games, which was released in July 2014.

In August 2014, GOG.com started offering DRM-free films in formats like MP4 and HTML. Movies are available in Full HD 1080p, 720p, and 576p, though some titles lack Full HD options. They began with 21 documentaries about internet culture and gaming and planned to add fiction films and series.

In December 2013, GOG.com introduced a 30-day money-back guarantee for customers with unresolvable technical issues. In February 2020, this policy was expanded to allow full refunds within 30 days of purchase, even if the product was used.

Starting in April 2015, GOG.com offered DRM-free downloads for people who owned physical copies of games with broken DRM systems, such as the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. and Master of Orion series. By November 2017, over $1.7 million in retail sales had been redeemed through this system.

In August 2018, GOG.com launched a program called "FCK DRM" to support anti-DRM efforts. The initiative linked to organizations like the EFF and Bandcamp, which promote DRM-free content.

Approach

GOG.com provides both older and newer games to users. It does not use digital rights management, which allows customers to install the game anywhere and as many times as they want.

Before making older games available for modern computers, legal experts at GOG.com must find all ownership rights for each game and ensure all necessary parties agree to its redistribution. This can be difficult for games from the late 1990s and early 2000s because few publishers and developers kept digital records of their legal documents. Many companies changed ownership over time, making it hard to track rights and taking years to complete. For example, acquiring the rights to the Strategic Simulations "Gold Box" series was challenging due to the many company changes since the 1990s.

GOG.com allows users to suggest older games they want to see. The company uses these suggestions to identify games that need more legal research. Some work has been done with Nightdive Studios, who found and acquired the rights to System Shock 2, a highly requested game, and later relicensed other older games.

To ensure compatibility with modern operating systems and hardware, GOG.com prepares games with updates and fixes. Whenever possible, GOG.com acquires the game's original source code, which can be as difficult as finding legal rights. From this, they make the game work on modern and future hardware, apply compatibility fixes, and sometimes use community-made patches. They also seek help from developers who worked on the game before. If the code is unavailable, they may reverse engineer it. In cases where this is impossible, they package the game with open-source software like ScummVM and DOSBox to ensure compatibility.

For newer games, especially indie titles, GOG.com allows developers to publish their games on the site starting in 2013. Developers receive 70% of each sale, with GOG.com taking 30%. An option is available for upfront payments, after which GOG.com takes 40% of sales until the payment is repaid, then reverts to the 70/30 split. All games are distributed without digital rights management.

In March 2009, GOG.com announced a deal with Ubisoft to publish older games from their collection. This was the first agreement with a major publisher to offer DRM-free downloads. The deal included games not available through other online platforms.

In September 2014, GOG.com began selling Amiga games from Cinemaware’s collection, starting with Defender of the Crown. This was made possible through Cinemaware’s own emulator called "Rocklobster."

In October 2014, GOG.com partnered with Disney Interactive/LucasArts as a DRM-free publisher. This led to the re-release of several popular LucasArts titles, including Star Wars: X-Wing and Sam & Max Hit the Road. In May 2015, GOG.com released Pacific General and Fantasy General, naming itself GOG Ltd as the publisher. The company acquired the rights to these titles and plans to acquire more in the future.

In August 2015, Bethesda Softworks joined GOG.com, offering classic titles such as Doom, Fallout, and Elder Scrolls games.

In March 2019, Blizzard Entertainment partnered with GOG.com to release classic titles like Diablo, Warcraft: Orcs & Humans, and Warcraft II: Battle.net Edition. Diablo: Hellfire was added later in June 2019.

In September 2020, GOG.com reintroduced three Metal Gear titles and the Konami Collector's Series: Castlevania & Contra. However, Metal Gear Solid 2: Substance was removed from the store in November 2021 due to licensing issues and has not returned.

In September 2021, GOG.com released six classic Star Trek titles, updated to work on modern systems.

According to a report from the Management Board, GOG.com had over 5,200 items in its product catalog as of September 1, 2021. However, the business expansion did not generate enough income to cover rising costs. Between January and September 2021, GOG.com lost $1.14 million. Due to poor financial performance, GOG.com management announced plans to reduce its offerings, focusing on a "handpicked selection of games" and moving staff to other projects within CD Projekt.

Features

Digital goods, such as video games and movies, can be bought and downloaded online. These items are distributed without digital rights management. Prices usually range from $5 to $10 for older games, with special sales offered several times a week. Some newer titles cost more. GOG.com allows users to give digital products to others through redeemable gift certificates.

Users do not need to install special client software to download or play games. However, a download manager (which is no longer used) and the GOG Galaxy client (currently in beta) are available. After downloading, customers may use the software for personal purposes, such as installing it on multiple devices, saving it on personal storage, modifying, or updating it. Reselling or sharing is not allowed.

The software installers are not connected to the user’s GOG.com account but are still subject to GOG.com’s End User License Agreement (EULA), which states that the software is "licensed, not sold." This wording often raises questions about ownership of digital goods. In the European Union, the European Court of Justice ruled that copyright holders cannot block the resale of digitally sold software, following the rule of copyright exhaustion after the first sale. This challenges the "licensed, not sold" EULA.

Customers can also download extra materials related to purchased games, such as soundtracks (partly in FLAC format), wallpapers, avatars, and manuals. GOG.com provides customer support and a 30-day money-back guarantee for purchases.

Promotions occur regularly, with discounts for bundled purchases, themed contests like riddles or "guess a game from a picture," and review contests that give away promotion codes for games.

In June 2025, GOG introduced "One-click Mod" support, allowing users to easily download and install curated game modifications for select titles. These mods include fixes for game issues or new content, such as total conversions. Examples include Skyblivion, a mod for The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim that recreates content from The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion.

In June 2014, GOG.com announced the development of a Steam-like client called GOG Galaxy for Windows, Mac, and Linux. The client serves as a storefront, software delivery tool, and social network, enabling users to buy and play games, share them with friends, and use an original multiplayer API for game features. The client is optional and maintains the DRM-free policy of GOG.com.

On October 15, 2014, the open multiplayer beta of GOG Galaxy began, with a free Alien vs Predator giveaway. In July 2015, PC Gamer magazine praised the beta for its focus on user respect compared to Steam. On March 22, 2017, cloud saves were added for 29 games. GOG Galaxy is currently available for Windows and macOS, with Linux support no longer a priority.

In May 2019, GOG announced plans for GOG Galaxy 2.0, a unified game launcher for GOG titles and other platforms like Steam, Origin, Uplay, and Epic Games Store. It also supports Xbox and PlayStation networks. The client entered a closed beta in June 2019 and an open beta in December 2019. In July 2020, GOG officially integrated the Epic Games Store into GOG Galaxy 2.0.

In June 2016, GOG Connect allowed users with both GOG.com and Steam accounts to claim games they already owned on Steam as part of their GOG.com library, including DRM-free versions and bonus items. Not all games were eligible, and the service was discontinued in January 2023 after years of inactivity.

Market share

GOG.com does not share its own sales numbers, but some game creators sometimes share their game's sales by platform. Here are examples:

• In an article from 11 November 2011, PC Gamer reported sales data for The Witcher 2. The data showed that Direct2Drive, Impulse, and GamersGate together sold 10,000 copies (4%), GOG.com sold 40,000 copies (16%), and Steam sold 200,000 copies (80%) during the same time period.

• On 20 February 2013, Lars Doucet, the creator of Defender's Quest, shared revenue information for the first three months after the game's release across six platforms, including four major digital distributors and two direct purchase methods. The results showed that GOG.com earned 8.5% of the revenue, second only to Steam's 58.6%. Doucet noted that "GOG's star is clearly rising" and that GOG generated 14.5% as much revenue as Steam, even when competing directly. He also stated that Steam has a large group of very loyal customers, but GOG is becoming a popular alternative, especially among people who prefer platforms without digital rights management (DRM).

• In early 2021, it was reported that GOG.com accounted for about 10% of all PC sales of Cyberpunk 2077. For pre-orders, GOG.com made up one-third of early PC pre-orders.

Controversies

In early 2019, a video game called Devotion created by Red Candle Games was taken down from online stores after it was discovered to include material that criticized Xi Jinping, the leader of the Chinese Communist Party. Many Chinese players complained about the content. Red Candle Games apologized and promised to remove the critical material, but the game was not brought back. In December, GOG announced it would release Devotion later that month. However, after receiving messages from players, GOG changed its decision and removed the game again. This action caused some people to criticize GOG for limiting free expression.

On September 17, 2021, the Hitman Game of the Year edition was released on GOG’s online store. While players could play the game without an internet connection, most of its features required being online. After receiving many complaints and negative reviews from players, GOG said it was looking into the issue. On October 8, GOG removed the game from its store, explaining that it "shouldn’t have released it in its current form."