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Hello GOG Community,

We have some heart-breaking news to share: Warcraft: Orcs and Humans and Warcraft II will be leaving the GOG store on December 13th, 2024.

As many of you know, at GOG, we believe that games should live forever. It’s not just about preserving them—it’s about making sure these timeless classics remain accessible, updated, and playable on modern systems. That’s exactly what the GOG Preservation Program was created for. But, even with our best efforts and dedication to game preservation, sometimes things don’t go as we’d hoped.

Seeing these masterpieces leave our store is tough, but it also serves as another reminder of why our mission at GOG is so important. With that in mind, we’ve decided to update one aspect of the GOG Preservation Program’s policy:

Going forward, even if a game is no longer available for sale on GOG, as part of the GOG Preservation Program, it will continue to be maintained and updated by us, ensuring it remains compatible with modern and future systems.

We're incredibly proud of our work on both Warcraft: Orcs and Humans and Warcraft II, bringing them back to life after decades of unavailability and introducing several improvements to ensure the best possible experience, as close to the original as possible.

Although we’ll soon no longer be able to offer these games in our store, anyone who purchased them before they were removed will still enjoy the most compatible, high-quality versions, guaranteed by the GOG Preservation Program.

And because GOG is DRM-free, you’ll have lifetime access to your Offline Installers. That means, even though these games are being delisted, you’ll still have them safely stored in your library forever, ready to play whenever you want. This is what these titles—and you as gamers—deserve.

To all of you who support our mission of preserving video game history—thank you. It’s not just about the games themselves; it’s about the journey we’ve all shared as gamers. We’re honored to continue this journey with you.

With appreciation,
The GOG Team

Please note:
If you want to buy the Warcraft I & II Bundle and keep them forever in your library, you can use the checkout code: MakeWarcraftLiveForever

The discount code works on 2 USD, 2 EUR, 1.5 GBP, or 8 PLN off, only on the Warcraft I & II Bundle, when entered at the checkout. The code works only for the listed currencies, which – if at a different location – can be easily changed at the bottom of our page.

Each user can only use the code once.
Starcraft is overrated, both of them. I know comparable RTS that do not need all the DRM hassles with payment. With all the factors included... they do not pass the required quality i demand for having it in my collection.

What truly is a gem, is Warcraft 1, 2 +3 (classic only) and Diablo 1+2 (classic only).
Those should be preserved.

However... Warcraft 3 and Diablo 2 is almost lost already... do not let it happen with the ones still available on GOG...
Post edited December 06, 2024 by Xeshra
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Xeshra: [...]
In theory private servers [for the non-remastered WC3] are possible but they may face issues with the law.
[...]
There's no reason for that. WC3 has normal multiplayer in addition to (the now shut down) Battle.net. There are probably people playing it through the extra matchmaking of the likes of GameRanger right now.

It especially makes less sense to invite Blizzard's wrath by hacking WC3, since IIRC the in-game matchmaking interface is the same for Battle.net and normal multiplayer ? (Improving it is always tempting of course...)

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QWEEDDYZ: lord_mendels
it is the same Blizzard who made Starcraft 2. Also you forgot that at non-US release SC2 require paid subscription to play even single-player.
WTF are you talking about ? (Which country ?) Yes, it was online-only, but you only had to buy it once.
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HunchBluntley: Since the news post has now dropped off the front page (and the "ad" for the bundle in the front-page carousel doesn't even mention the upcoming delisting), it would probably be best to sticky this forum thread for now, per the usual practice with the normal forum delisting notices. : )
Word! Also the bestselling(recent) section/filter is busted currently it seems, or some marketing stunt is going on promoting newly added games there instead. Many of them don't even have a price yet... Need to see Warcrafts back there on top one last time.
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BlueTemplar: WTF are you talking about ? (Which country ?) Yes, it was online-only, but you only had to buy it once.
it was include one year of availability along with retail game activation. After about this first after release year they cancel that.
some 3rd countries has only month... i guess (dont remeber) for lower price of the game, but still one year for full price.
if refer to Russia/CIS we got some treatment UK Poland and Switzerland usually get. Our "full version" with year support cost higher than UK regular 1 year price and USA unlimited access price.

Hmm... wait, or we didnt get that one year version at all. It was 14 and 1 month only available. For get the same 1 year version EU get we should pay additional fee and AFTER that it in result cost higher. Which still have regional limitation to be able to launch only in CIS and no access to global Multiplayer servers.
unlimited USA-like version kn EU and RU BattleNet was not an option at all. Which if it was make already higher cost GBP and EUR price goes even higher, with regional limitations to launch but as i know no limitations to multiplayer servers.
RU retail can be activated only on RU account, Collectors Edition has regular EU key and only EU, we not get two bunch of CE as we did get for WoW and Expansions CEs since WOTLK in 2008.

As for Russia+CIS Blizzard also has strange police for WOW too. At first we has access to EU servers even from Russian lang client, then they prohibited russian clients telling there is technical limitations, then access for Ru accounts excluded at all. For long time. Some time ago they open it back, and even allow russian clients. How it goes right now idk but last time no limitations. Strange is it was unrelated to price. We always get - unlike Starcraft 2 - very cheap sub fee comparing to USD/EUR. At time when we pay double pice to get limited access to Starcraft 2 RU-only we paid half price and has access to WOW EN-EU servers from EN-UK language clients we was free to intall.
So at some time we has free to create and pay EU and RU accounts, two bunch of Retail editions +CE +both regon digital keys, we can pay whatever price - EU or cheapen RU and most of time from 2008 both account versions has access to both regional servers at free will. As result those who paid extra EUR price get extra service they paid for, for some period.
I mean besides EU Store we get officially EU versions to sold in RU Store, but not for SC2. EU.Store still at this time was available.

EU Starcraft 2 sold here directly was only Collector's Edition of SC2 and first expansion. for EU created accounts there was still full digital access to EU-EN Bnet Store. I guess regional limitations for Store itself wasnt implemented baf then. For now there is regonal limitations. And not only for Russia. Try experiment with ru/eu/us in url and differ VPN proxy regions.
There is still no limitations, you can buy other region items. But available listing are differ. I dont know how long ago the implementated that.
It sounds way to troublesome for me... welcome to the DRM-region-lock jungle including regional pricing of course.

Equality and what else are just words, not much more. Sometimes the truth may be sufficiently close to such a value but in many or most terms i would not grant my certification mark to most of its "executions". Because this is simply not how the world, its society and the industry works, at least not in a "bigger picture". The highest grade can only be achieved by a rather small party of individuals who truly care for each others... not by those being guided by power and influence.
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BlueTemplar: WTF are you talking about ? (Which country ?) Yes, it was online-only, but you only had to buy it once.
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QWEEDDYZ: it was include one year of availability along with retail game activation. After about this first after release year they cancel that.
some 3rd countries has only month... i guess (dont remeber) for lower price of the game, but still one year for full price.
if refer to Russia/CIS we got some treatment UK Poland and Switzerland usually get. Our "full version" with year support cost higher than UK regular 1 year price and USA unlimited access price.
I'm in the EU and I definitely only bought Wings of Liberty once.

I've tried to find any information about what you mention above, and I can't.

I did find reference to a (monthly) subscription option, but seemingly specifically for South Korea :
[url=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/StarCraft_II:_Wings_of_Liberty#Versions]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/StarCraft_II:_Wings_of_Liberty#Versions[/url]
(also with hourly and daily options, targeted to cybercafés, as well as an unlimited version too)
Looks like it was also free (at least in South Korea) if you already had a WoW subscription, did you confuse the two ?

Otherwise :
https://www.shacknews.com/article/64968/starcraft-2-topples-original-titless
Speaking in units, no reference to subscriptions.
https://www.reddit.com/r/starcraft/comments/cs92v/comment/c0uvko2/
UK and EU, no mention of subscriptions.
https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-10773395
UK, no mention of subscriptions (which would have been abnormal enough at the time to be mentioned).

At this point it's hard for me to believe your claims for Russia/CIS either, please provide proof.

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QWEEDDYZ: Which still have regional limitation to be able to launch only in CIS and no access to global Multiplayer servers.
Ah, thank you for reminding me about this shitty thing that Blizzard did, I forgot about it because I wasn't concerned, but a lot of other people were :
there were no «global» servers, US was separate from EU and from Asia :
https://www.reddit.com/r/starcraft/comments/j5tlc/comment/c29gk6k/
It's indeed wild that they would have done this (you had to buy another copy of the game !!), considering how widespread English-native people are across the world...

A reminder of the kind of bullshit can happen with online-only / no normal multiplayer / associated DRM !

(Not that I'm not guilty of still giving Blizzard money long after WoW / the Activision merger, but I still had some hopes back when SC2 released...
Speaking of which, I'm probably not going to buy this bundle even with the discount, because it would still be giving Microsoft-Activision-Blizzard-King too big a fraction of that money.)
Post edited December 06, 2024 by BlueTemplar
Yeah seen Bundle get highest week sales popularity make me feel good for the bundled games but bad for basically easy money publisher to get. Initia price - i mea when bundle just released it was at some discount and im insta bought it - ot was a fair price for me.
But today, 2 USD is just about 10%. Last time it goes at fair discount was long ago. When any games delisted they goes rise in sales tnaks to preservationists gamers, usually no discunt at all. It is easy money for GOG and publishers.
Here therebis discount, maybe by GOG initiative. Still too high price almost like no discount. While GOG this time deserve that money, its still easy money for Microsoft.

Back to history. Activision was majory sold to Vivendi SA but some years since Bobby Kotick announce palns to bought some part of it back. I didnt saw any further details. Which parts remain to Vivendi and did they make any changes at all in who own something. BobbyK always stay at rule.
For now we know it is Microsoft today. So that unknown fact and u known period no matter today. I was at first cheer for it. Now i see that Bethesda and Activision-Blizzard not make any improved and morever goes worse (imho). Sae for entire Xbox Gaming Studo and Ms gaming subsidiary.

Another interestin history. Vivendi was not only one French who bought major part of american gaming industry (sierra, blizzard, activision, Universal Interactive and subsidiaries). There was Infogrames who bought some parts of Time Warner gaming subsidiaries, GT, Atari and their subsidiaries. Activision before Vivendi was huge producers with indie support programs, if im remember correctly EA was grown of Activision investment or it was someone else? much before 2000 though. Still VU Games-ActiBlizzard and Infogrames/Atari-Infogrames/Atari make many games to be produced, good one continuations and new titles.
while take2 bought eu companies. and also make many good franchises continuations and good new titles.

I cheer for Ms Xbox Gaming cause they was make some new games and continuations, invest in some indie games. Bethesda known for trash-treating to gamers and perma-bans for nothing. No new titls, no continuations, no policy changes.
Activision Blizzard no new titles, trash continuations (Crash 4 too, yep, oh yeah and it is not Crash 4), trash policies to gamers.
Closing some subs-studios both of bought companies and own under Xbox Gaming label studios.

Blizzard specifically continue to sold "everyone have mobiles..." Diablo and Warcraft. Overwatc 2 disrepcted release to OW1 plyers, Warcraft ai upscaled remasters. In Wc3 Reforged outsource studio did good job, Blizzard faled to make it good remaster, lied promises (for videos), killing Wc3, remain Classic mode campaign bugged all improve ls to Reforged mode only.
Here Wc1+2 remasters they didnt even pay a cent to outsource and just make WHOLE game in AI - whole visual elements including UI and main menu.
Now Blizzard disallow to sold classic separate of remasters.

Warcraft low budget and Stellaris. Thank you Microsoft.
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QWEEDDYZ: Now Blizzard disallow to sold classic separate of remasters.

Warcraft low budget and Stellaris. Thank you Microsoft.
Just the Warcraft 3 + Frozen throne classics are gone, stuck inside the butchered Reforged as a half-assed measure.

Classics available for purchase through battlenet: Warcraft 1, Warcraft 2 battlenet edition, Diablo 1, Diablo 2, Diablo 2 LOD, Starcraft 1 + Brood war (free), Starcraft 2 with expansion packs (there is also the free version which has Terran campaign only iirc), Blizzard arcade collection (Lost vikings 1 + 2, Blackthorne, Rock n Roll racing, RPM racing).

I personally am not interested in buying any of their games through their store, so by not making them available here they've lost me as a potential customer. My WoW years are pretty much over too since like 2009...
What does Stellaris have to do with this ??

If someone invested in you, you're not indie any more.

Microsoft is much worse than Activision-Blizzard(-King), also because it's not just about games any more.
....pinned now? Really? 17 pages of crap going off the rails and we all know now the games are leaving.

>_>
I feel like we're not even going to get D2 Classic now. The only reason Dungeon Siege is on here, despite being published by MS originally, is because Squeenix owns its IP now.

Glad I picked these up already, but I'm at the point where I'm about done with Blizzard for good.
I grabbed the bundle this afternoon. Question, any reason why the serial keys page says "Serial keys depleted" under Warcraft II? Do I need to contact GOG, or will the key just eventually appear?

I'm keeping the game obviously with it being removed, usually I like to backup my offline installers and usually keep the serial key with it. Will the game play regardless of the key?
I made a new wish if anybody wants to vote:

https://www.gog.com/wishlist/games/warcraft_1_and_2_expansions_back_on_gog
Post edited December 07, 2024 by tfishell
Your request sounds hilarious, innocent and futile... it is a new version of the well known tale, in a gamer-version:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6XWeqwcJ2n0

Guess the roles are clear in this new "tale". I just dont know if there will be a "happy end" this time.
Post edited December 07, 2024 by Xeshra
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CoolTailsy: I grabbed the bundle this afternoon. Question, any reason why the serial keys page says "Serial keys depleted" under Warcraft II? Do I need to contact GOG, or will the key just eventually appear?

I'm keeping the game obviously with it being removed, usually I like to backup my offline installers and usually keep the serial key with it. Will the game play regardless of the key?
Thats happened before few times. i mean few times keys pool expanded by GOG+Blizzard few times. As i kn9w for some time they no more provide the keys.

But there was no no-multiplayer advise so GOG+Blizzard still owe you all a key. Go ask GOG Support. Optionally Blizzard.

IT IS IMPORTNT to contact support AS QUICK as possible while they still owe you keys. When there is still store page telling there is keys availability.