GOG, the DRM-free PC gaming storefront that’s been the only real alternative to Steam’s dominance, has a new owner. On December 28, 2025, CD Projekt announced it sold 100% of GOG’s shares to Michał Kiciński, who co-founded both CD Projekt and GOG itself back in 2008. The $25.2 million deal lets CD Projekt focus entirely on game development while giving GOG independence to pursue its mission of making games live forever.
For users worried about what this means for their libraries, GOG issued clear reassurances: nothing changes. The platform remains DRM-free, GOG Galaxy stays optional, and all existing games and user accounts continue as before. CD Projekt’s upcoming titles including The Witcher 4 and Cyberpunk 2 will still launch on GOG alongside other platforms. What does change is GOG’s ability to make its own strategic decisions without being constrained by parent company priorities.
Why CD Projekt Decided to Sell
CD Projekt’s reasoning is straightforward: the company wants to focus completely on creating games rather than operating a digital storefront. With The Witcher 4, Cyberpunk 2, and multiple other projects in development, maintaining GOG’s infrastructure and dealing with storefront operations diverted resources from core game development. Joint CEO Michał Nowakowski stated that with an ambitious development roadmap ahead, this was the right time for the move.
GOG has been operating increasingly independently within CD Projekt for years. The storefront had its own management team, made platform decisions separately from the game development side, and functioned more like a sister company than an integrated division. Formalizing that independence through a full sale simply acknowledges the reality that already existed while letting CD Projekt streamline operations.
The $25.2 million price tag (90.7 million Polish złoty) seems modest for a platform that hosts thousands of games and serves millions of users. However, GOG has struggled with profitability throughout its history despite being praised for its consumer-friendly policies. Operating a DRM-free storefront means missing out on the anti-piracy measures and vendor lock-in that make competing platforms more financially attractive to publishers. The sale price reflects both GOG’s cultural value and its challenging business model.
Who Is Michał Kiciński and Why This Matters
Michał Kiciński isn’t some random buyer looking to flip GOG for profit. He co-founded CD Projekt alongside his brother Marcin in 1994, building it from a small game distributor into the Polish gaming powerhouse behind The Witcher and Cyberpunk franchises. When digital distribution emerged as the future, Kiciński co-founded GOG in 2008 with a simple mission: bring classic games back to players and ensure that once you buy a game, it truly belongs to you forever.
Kiciński resigned from his day-to-day role at CD Projekt in 2010 but remained involved as a major shareholder, currently holding about 10% of the company’s share capital. His acquisition of GOG represents a return to one of his original passion projects at a time when DRM-free gaming faces mounting pressure from subscription services, always-online requirements, and platform exclusivity deals.
In his statement announcing the acquisition, Kiciński emphasized the shared values that built both CD Projekt and GOG: freedom, independence, and genuine ownership. He believes GOG should be the best place on the planet to purchase The Witcher and Cyberpunk games while also serving as a haven for classic titles that other platforms have forgotten. That vision requires independence from parent company pressures and quarterly earnings expectations.
The Financial Structure
Kiciński financed the entire $25.2 million purchase through committed funding secured at closing without selling any of his CD Projekt shares. This matters because it means he’s personally invested in GOG’s success rather than using it as a vehicle to cash out his CD Projekt holdings. The deal structure suggests genuine commitment to the platform rather than financial maneuvering.
CD Projekt and GOG signed a distribution agreement as part of the sale specifying terms of future cooperation. All upcoming CD Projekt Red games will launch on GOG, maintaining the close relationship between the companies while formalizing it through contracts rather than ownership. This gives both parties clarity about expectations and obligations going forward.
What GOG Plans to Do Next
GOG’s announcement teased “ambitious rescue missions in 2026 and 2027” that it will detail next year. While specifics remain vague, the phrasing points toward expanded game preservation efforts similar to the GOG Preservation Program launched in 2024. That initiative involved GOG’s team working directly with classic games to ensure they run properly on modern Windows systems, fixing compatibility issues that made old favorites unplayable.
Managing Director Maciej Gołębiewski stated that GOG plans to double down on what only it does: reviving classics, keeping them playable on modern PCs, and helping great games find their audience over time. In a market getting more crowded, more locked-in, and increasingly willing to forget older titles, GOG positions itself as the guardian of gaming history.
The announcement also emphasized celebrating standout modern games and helping shape the classics of tomorrow, including new games with real retro spirit. This suggests GOG will continue supporting indie developers creating games inspired by classic design philosophies rather than exclusively focusing on decades-old titles. The platform has become a haven for retro-styled games that don’t fit neatly into modern AAA expectations.
GOG as Gaming’s Last Free Haven
GOG has increasingly positioned itself as a refuge for games rejected by other storefronts. When psychological horror game Horses was banned from Steam and Epic Games Store for alleged policy violations despite the developer’s claims of compliance, GOG hosted it without hesitation. The game quickly became one of GOG’s top sellers, demonstrating appetite for controversial artistic works that don’t fit mainstream platform guidelines.
This willingness to host outsider art and boundary-pushing content sets GOG apart from competitors increasingly worried about brand safety and content moderation. While Valve and Epic tighten their content policies to avoid controversies, GOG maintains that users should have freedom to choose what they play and creators should have opportunity to share their artistic work. That philosophy may become more important as other platforms continue restricting what games can be sold.
The platform’s DRM-free stance also matters more as other storefronts embrace always-online requirements, kernel-level anti-cheat systems, and invasive DRM schemes. When you buy a game on GOG, you can download the installers and keep them forever regardless of whether GOG continues operating. That’s fundamentally different from Steam, Epic, or console storefronts where your purchases are licenses that can be revoked if platforms shut down or publishers pull games.
The Challenges Ahead
Operating a DRM-free storefront faces inherent challenges that have prevented GOG from achieving profitability consistently. Publishers hesitate to release games without DRM protection, fearing piracy will eat into sales. Major AAA releases often skip GOG entirely or arrive months after launching elsewhere. The platform’s user base, while passionate, remains a fraction of Steam’s hundreds of millions of users.
GOG Galaxy, the optional client that provides features like cloud saves and achievement tracking, competes against Steam, Epic Games Store, Xbox app, and platform-specific launchers. Convincing users to add yet another launcher to their systems is difficult when most already feel overwhelmed by launcher proliferation. GOG’s philosophy makes Galaxy optional rather than required, which is consumer-friendly but makes it harder to build platform lock-in.
The game preservation mission, while culturally valuable, requires significant resources for minimal financial return. Making 20-year-old games work on Windows 11 involves technical effort that generates modest sales compared to hosting new releases. It’s a labor of love rather than a profit center, and Kiciński’s willingness to prioritize it despite financial challenges will determine whether GOG can sustain that mission long-term.
What This Means for Users
If you have a GOG account with purchased games, absolutely nothing changes in the short term. Your library remains accessible, all games continue working exactly as before, and GOG’s DRM-free policies stay in place. The platform’s infrastructure and operations continue unchanged while ownership transfers to Kiciński.
Long-term, the acquisition could benefit users if it gives GOG more freedom to pursue ambitious preservation projects and host controversial games other platforms reject. Independence from CD Projekt means decisions can be made based on what’s best for GOG rather than what serves parent company interests. Kiciński’s personal investment and founding history suggest he understands what makes the platform special and won’t compromise those values for short-term profits.
The main risk is financial sustainability. If GOG continues struggling with profitability under independent ownership, Kiciński may eventually need to sell to a larger company with deeper pockets or make uncomfortable compromises about DRM policies. However, his willingness to spend $25 million acquiring the platform suggests commitment to making it work rather than looking for a quick exit.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will my GOG games still work after the acquisition?
Yes. All existing games, user accounts, and libraries remain unchanged. GOG explicitly confirmed that nothing changes regarding DRM-free policies, optional GOG Galaxy client, or the core mission. Your purchased games continue working exactly as before, and you can still download DRM-free installers to keep forever.
Who is Michał Kiciński?
Michał Kiciński co-founded CD Projekt in 1994 alongside his brother Marcin and co-founded GOG in 2008. He resigned from his day-to-day role at CD Projekt in 2010 but remained a major shareholder with about 10% of the company. He purchased GOG for $25.2 million using committed funding without selling any of his CD Projekt shares.
Will CD Projekt games still be on GOG?
Yes. CD Projekt and GOG signed a distribution agreement as part of the sale that includes plans to release all upcoming CD Projekt Red games on GOG. This means The Witcher 4, Cyberpunk 2, and future titles will launch on the platform just as previous games did.
Why did CD Projekt sell GOG?
CD Projekt wants to focus entirely on game development rather than operating a digital storefront. With an ambitious development roadmap including The Witcher 4 and Cyberpunk 2, the company decided this was the right time to let GOG operate independently. GOG had already been functioning semi-independently within CD Projekt for years.
What are GOG’s plans for 2026-2027?
GOG teased ambitious rescue missions in 2026 and 2027 that will be detailed next year, likely involving expanded game preservation efforts. The platform plans to double down on reviving classics, keeping them playable on modern systems, and supporting retro-styled indie games. Specific projects haven’t been announced yet.
Is GOG profitable?
GOG has struggled with consistent profitability throughout its history despite strong user loyalty. Operating a DRM-free storefront makes it harder to attract publishers worried about piracy and prevents platform lock-in strategies that competitors use. The $25.2 million sale price reflects both GOG’s cultural value and its challenging business model.
Will GOG stay DRM-free?
Yes. GOG explicitly confirmed that DRM-free policies remain unchanged under new ownership. Michał Kiciński’s founding vision for GOG centered on ensuring games truly belong to players forever, and that philosophy continues under his ownership. Abandoning DRM-free would destroy what makes GOG unique.
Conclusion
The acquisition of GOG by Michał Kiciński represents a rare example of a founder returning to save something they built rather than watching it get absorbed into a faceless corporation. At a time when gaming increasingly moves toward subscription services, always-online requirements, and platform exclusivity, having an independent DRM-free storefront matters more than ever. Whether Kiciński can make GOG financially sustainable while maintaining its consumer-friendly principles remains to be seen, but his personal investment and founding history suggest genuine commitment rather than financial opportunism. For the millions of gamers who value actually owning their games instead of licensing them until platforms decide otherwise, GOG’s continued independence under its original co-founder offers hope that DRM-free gaming has a future. The ambitious preservation projects teased for 2026-2027 could cement GOG’s role as gaming’s historical archive while also providing a haven for artistic games that don’t fit neatly into mainstream platform policies. CD Projekt gets to focus entirely on making great games while GOG pursues its mission without parent company constraints. If everything works as planned, this deal benefits everyone involved, though only time will tell whether independence translates to long-term success.