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General discussion<b>Warcraft 1+2 will be delisted from GOG—what does this mean in regard to the GOG Preservation Program?</b>(452 posts)(452 posts)
(452 posts)
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This is my favourite topic
Posted December 02, 2024
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.
Posted December 02, 2024
Didn't GOG have that Blizzard collection of old games like "The Lost Vikings" and a few others or am I wrong?
Posted December 02, 2024
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Sarang: Didn't GOG have that Blizzard collection of old games like "The Lost Vikings" and a few others or am I wrong?
I don't believe they had those games.
Posted December 02, 2024
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Spectrum_Legacy: Interesting to find such an unfortunate announcement on the front page, though it's a big one for sure...

However I find it quite surprising that M$/Bli$$ sells those Remasters of WC1 & 2 while this time they also kept the classic versions up for sale there (or you can get them all in a bundle with the new v2.0 of WC3 Reforged). This just means they think that it's more profitable for them to cut gog out of this. As others have said, Diablo 1 is probably next on the chopping block and the sliver of hope for the classic W3+FT or D2+LOD release died out with this announcement. Sigh ...

Edit: Thanks for the discount coupon GOG, I reckon it goes out of your own pocket as M$/Bli$$ obviously can't care any less here.
I tried it out as I have bought the Battle Chest because I already have WarCraft III. The originals on Blizz are DRM Free just like back then but well they are just like back then. This means that WC II BNE is an inferior product there in comparison to GoG as it has no Cloud Saves, no graphic improvement and no German or French language and so in the Remaster the original names are translated while the narrator and unit voice are only english which is for many a Downgrade.
So WC II is just a cheap sell off of the original game while WC I in original is bad and so the new remaster whas direly needed.
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idbeholdME: Warcraft 1 is the only one I haven't played, have most of the other old Blizzard stuff on discs. Not sure I want to reward them for this with $6 though :/... Decisions, decisions.
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Swedrami: Diablo (& Hellfire) should be safe, for now at least(?).
Unless a Resurrected-like remaster has already been in the works and is going to be announced/released soon™.
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idbeholdME: Their MO right now seems to be nostalgia milking, so I'd pretty much bet on it. The sad part? It's working. Normies see a shiny coat of paint on a thing they remember and just gobble it up, hook, line and sinker.

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Sulibor: Delisting on Friday 13th? I guess someone at MS/Blizzard really wanted to make a point of this move.
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idbeholdME: Most likely just a coincidence. Remasters came out Nov 13, GOG received a letter giving them a month to comply with the delisting, that sort of thing.
Keep your money if you want to buy it on GoG. WarCraft I had a bad gameplay already back then so there is no good reason to buy it. Meanwhile the Remaster on Blizzard is really the 10€ worth it because they translated it into different languages and improved the graphic and even more the gameplay.
Posted December 02, 2024
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You know, for that whole "preservation" push, this does show how toothless the thing is, when Blizzard via Microsoft says, "Nah, we'd rather sell butchered remasters, get off the table" instead of GOG standing up and saying, "Hey, it'll make you some coin on the side and make an educational piece to show how much has developed since then!"
Posted December 02, 2024
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BananaJane: 2$ off? That's all? It doesn't even cover the sales tax!!
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Xeshra: I dunno... GOG probably just was "cutting" their own margin in order to "let more gamers enjoy it" before it is wiped out perhaps forever. It does not look like Blizzard or whoever is the owner is interested into giving a "huge discount".
These games never had great discounts to begin with (15/20%). And the last sale was in December '23 shortly after the completion of the MS-Activision-Blizzard merger.
I also believe that the 2$ discount is entirely on GOG's part to make up for the PR debacle.
Posted December 02, 2024
Yes, there was never more than 20% price cut, so there is no magics able to happen here.

Although this is not the game which personally is hurting me the most for "losing it", it is still... at this very moment... the worst advertisement GOG could ever get, kinda a fatal blow, a true PR debacle. Just at the time of the "big preservation project" and one of the highest rated games involved there. It will simply decrease the gamers trust a lot... this is the true issue here. Because they see "how volatile the entire matter can become". It can not be helped, guess it simply was not fitting the "marketing strategy" anymore. If the ones involved at least do not want to cause even more troubles they may at least spare "the other games"... although i am not so sure it will be granted.

The game hurting me the most was the loss of "Grandia 2", although i was lucky enough for still owning it on my library, many people are kinda out of luck there. The only option is now a DRM bundle somewhere and not the original version anymore.

Another game kinda sad it is gone is "Way of the Samurai 4", yet as well it is still in my library and another time... many people are out of luck there. Way of the Samurai 3 is as well gone but no big loss, it is the weaker game.

Sure, it is not every day some pretty big titles are gone... so at least i hope we can have "some rest".

In my mind, the industry is not "serving their needs" well by such actions because they will only backup some opposite views of people who say "we got a preservation issue, and so many games are already lost".
Post edited December 02, 2024 by Xeshra
Posted December 02, 2024
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dnovraD: You know, for that whole "preservation" push, this does show how toothless the thing is, when Blizzard via Microsoft says, "Nah, we'd rather sell butchered remasters, get off the table" instead of GOG standing up and saying, "Hey, it'll make you some coin on the side and make an educational piece to show how much has developed since then!"
How do you know they didn't try?

As it stands they are keeping the copies up to date in people's libraries even after being delisted.
Posted December 02, 2024
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Stoop Solo: Hey publishers, why delist a classic just because you're releasing a remaster? One might get the impression your remasters don't particularly offer anything that makes them worth getting over the originals or something.
That's the elephant in the room with these delistings lol they don't want people to realize they're just upscaling the game (and not even manually with some touches nowadays, it's all AI generated) while they hype them out as the definitive way to play them

Aren't you excited? :D
Post edited December 02, 2024 by Memecchi
Posted December 02, 2024
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Xeshra: Yes, there was never more than 20% price cut, so there is no magics able to happen here.

Although this is not the game which personally is hurting me the most for "losing it", it is still... at this very moment... the worst advertisement GOG could ever get, kinda a fatal blow, a true PR debacle. Just at the time of the "big preservation project" and one of the highest rated games involved there. It will simply decrease the gamers trust a lot... this is the true issue here. Because they see "how volatile the entire matter can become". It can not be helped, guess it simply was not fitting the "marketing strategy" anymore. If the ones involved at least do not want to cause even more troubles they may at least spare "the other games"... although i am not so sure it will be granted.
I don't know how you figure that one out.

It is a debacle for Blizzard maybe (although they clearly don't care much about their revenue stream originating from here apparently).

But GOG did right by its customers, so no loss of reputation on their side.

Their preservation program was about you always being able to enjoy your purchase on the maintained versions of Windows (hopefully Linux at some point, but Windows for now).

As it turns out, this case here. Not only will the game remain in your library, but they will keep supporting it, so mission accomplished.
Post edited December 02, 2024 by Magnitus
Posted December 02, 2024
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Remember, the video game """crisis""" is SOLELY due to management, CEOs, big companies, accountants, "hr" and above all, shareholders.

Get rid of all those (basically, capitalism) and videogame would be free to remain art and not just a product to be discarded when its "holder" decides it has run out its uses.

Spit on "bosses" and support devs, everywhere, always, without question.
Posted December 02, 2024
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dnovraD: You know, for that whole "preservation" push, this does show how toothless the thing is, when Blizzard via Microsoft says, "Nah, we'd rather sell butchered remasters, get off the table" instead of GOG standing up and saying, "Hey, it'll make you some coin on the side and make an educational piece to show how much has developed since then!"
Yes, obviously GOG didn't try to keep two of their bestselling games!

Man, think for a second before typing a snarky remark
Posted December 02, 2024
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Sarang: How do you know they didn't try?

As it stands they are keeping the copies up to date in people's libraries even after being delisted.
I'm sure that's going to be great consolation to the people who thought to buy Duke Nukem too. Of course we get to keep the titles we buy*, but what GOG's marketing team says vs what their legal and engineering teams accomplish do send very different pictures.
Posted December 02, 2024
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Magnitus: As it turns out, this case here. Not only will the game remain in your library, but they will keep supporting it, so mission accomplished.
Apparently it is no PR debacle to Blizzard because they can not be that stupid to "let that happen by their own actions"... or maybe i am wrong.. i can not say.

Fact is: Blizzard was creating one oft the biggest games at their golden age which started with the games they are now removing here... and it ended with "World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King"... which was as well the time i stopped playing it for any extended period. I was still trying it one more time but... the magics was gone. Nowadays, Blizzard who once had over 10 million active players is now back to around 5 million players and a big fraction of the players is playing the WOW classics only... many of them on private servers and some on "official classics-servers"...

Anyway, yes, the games which are now being removed are basically "the roots that started it all" and... the current "WOW classics" the last of the really good games they ever made.
Post edited December 02, 2024 by Xeshra
Posted December 02, 2024
You can play most games on Linux already, they're just not officially supported by GOG.
Post edited December 02, 2024 by TeleFan76
Posted December 02, 2024
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Sarang: Didn't GOG have that Blizzard collection of old games like "The Lost Vikings" and a few others or am I wrong?
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wolfsite: I don't believe they had those games.
Ok thanks. I guess it just was consoles.
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This is my favourite topic
Community
General discussion<b>Warcraft 1+2 will be delisted from GOG—what does this mean in regard to the GOG Preservation Program?</b>(452 posts)(452 posts)
(452 posts)