CD Projekt Sells DRM-Free PC Storefront GOG to Original Co-Founder for $25.2 Million, Insists It's Financially Stable

CD Projekt has sold its DRM-free PC storefront GOG to its archetypal co-founder, Michał Kiciński, for 90.7 cardinal Polish złoty (approx. $25.2 million). Kiciński is besides co-founder of CD Projekt itself, and presently holds 10% of stock superior successful the business.

Kiciński co-founded GOG successful 2008, and it has operated wrong the CD Projekt Group for implicit 17 years. Selling GOG “fits” CD Projekt’s semipermanent strategy, according to a FAQ posted online. CD Projekt, the Polish institution down smash hits The Witcher 3 and Cyberpunk 2077, wants to absorption connected video crippled improvement and different projects, it said. CD Projekt is presently processing The Witcher 4 and Cyberpunk 2.

“Selling GOG fits CD Projekt’s semipermanent strategy,” reads the statement. “CD Projekt wants to absorption its afloat attraction connected creating top-quality RPGs and providing our fans with different forms of amusement based connected our brands. This woody lets CD Projekt support that focus, portion GOG gets stronger backing to prosecute its ain mission.”

Kiciński commented: “From the precise beginning, GOG has ever been built connected beardown values and wide principles. When Marcin Iwiński and I came up with the thought for GOG, the imaginativeness was simple: bring classical games backmost to players and guarantee that erstwhile you bargain a game, it genuinely belongs to you — forever.”

GOG volition run independently, it said, and proceed with its DRM-free philosophy. Following the sale, CD Projekt and GOG signed a organisation statement that specifies the presumption of aboriginal cooperation, including a program to merchandise CD Projekt Red’s upcoming games connected GOG.

“CD Projekt and GOG stock the aforesaid roots and values: freedom, independence, and a genuine consciousness of ownership,” Kiciński continued. “I judge that CD Projekt, with its exceptional AAA games, volition stand, arsenic always, down the GOG offering — making GOG the champion spot connected the satellite to acquisition The Witcher and Cyberpunk games, some existing titles and the caller ones we each expect truthful much.

“As a mature gamer, I often play classical games myself and profoundly respect the creativity down galore of them. I genuinely judge that well-crafted classics tin present arsenic overmuch joyousness arsenic caller releases. When it comes to axenic playability, timeless games often beryllium to beryllium truly the harmless choice, particularly successful a marketplace flooded with gazillions of low-quality smaller games. Beyond preserving classics, GOG has ever sought retired caller games with a retro spirit. I americium personally progressive successful the improvement of a fewer games similar that and they volition surely marque their beardown quality connected GOG successful 2026.”

Michał Nowakowski, associated CEO of CD Projekt, added: “with our absorption present afloat connected an ambitious improvement roadmap and expanding our franchises with caller high-quality products, we felt this was the close clip for this move.

“For a agelong clip now, GOG has been operating independently. Now it’s going into precise bully hands — we are convinced that with the enactment of Michał Kiciński, 1 of GOG’s co-founders, its aboriginal volition beryllium afloat of large projects and successes. We would similar to convey the GOG squad for years of fruitful practice and privation them each the best. And to the GOG community, I accidental ‘see you around,’ due to the fact that our upcoming releases volition people beryllium disposable connected GOG arsenic well.”

GOG has agelong competed with Steam for the hearts and minds of PC gamers by leaning connected its no-DRM policy, though Valve's level remains the overwhelming marketplace leader. In the FAQ, the question ‘is GOG financially unstable?’ is asked. The answer, officially, is no. “GOG is unchangeable and has had a truly encouraging year,” reads the statement. “In fact, we’ve seen much enthusiasm from gamers towards our ngo than ever before.” GOG deed the headlines precocious for getting down indie crippled Horses aft Valve banned it from Steam.

It sounds similar from a idiosyncratic constituent of view, thing changes here. As for CD Projekt, it tin present portion retired GOG from its business, which astatine latest number employed 1,335 staff. In The Witcher franchise it has the aforementioned The Witcher 4 arsenic portion of a caller Witcher trilogy with Ciri arsenic protagonist, The Witcher Remake, and Project Sirius. Cyberpunk 2 is besides successful development, arsenic is Project Hadar, a caller IP.

Wesley is Director, News astatine IGN. Find him connected Twitter astatine @wyp100. You tin scope Wesley astatine [email protected] oregon confidentially astatine [email protected].