The matter reached the front of r/games:

https://www.reddit.com/r/Games/comments/91mmt3/the_gog_version_of_no_mans_sky_next_does_not_have/

Thanks for the update and information about the delay.

Wow. That's a lot of butthurt. *goes back to playing his single-player games*

No wonder.

It wasn't HG nor gog fault there was only very few multiplayer functions (like shared discoveries) at the NMS release in 2016, as that was both by design and according to pre-release plans (which always were about adding "more traditional multiplayer" good time after the initial NMS release), but even then people got very vocal about it merely because sometimes plans for future development (post-release) were vocalized by HG, pre-release, without giving clear indication, every time, that they are talking about post-release development for this and that specific feature (or even just considering possibilities of further development, only).

But now it even is no such excuse. The NEXT is significantly about multiplayer, advertised as such, functioning as such everywhere but in its gog version, - this will be increasingly often blamed on both HG and gog (no matter which, if any, are actually "guilty" of any wrong-doing). The sooner gog clients would anyhow be provided with a way to get multiplayer functioning satisfactorily, the less harm will be done to both gog and HG reputation overall. Especially because of the lack of any NEXT's release-date notification about it other than delayed forum message.

And reputation is one very valuable feature for any "underdog" - which both HG and gog are, considering scale and profits of their competitors. I wish they'd manage to flourish, both of them. Yet they hardly would if their reputation goes down. Hopefully they'll find a way to avoid it somehow.

This "no NMS MP for gog version", overall - is much smaller-scale but yet much more long-lasting and adequate complaint than anything i've seen back in 2016. Quite a ticking bomb, possibly... Unless gog+HG manage to make it work, and soon. Not very likely, i know...

Yeah, how dare those people, that have waited for 712 days already (since August 12th, 2016, 712 days have passed till today, July 25th, 2018), to complain now about still not having the promised multiplayer. /s

In all honesty, I can not believe there are people in this thread saying "no problem, I can wait a bit longer". This should have been a feature since the launch of the game, and Hello Games did nor deliver what they've promised.

Edit: corrected typo

No problem, I can wait a bit longer.

But I did not buy NMS at launch or even at full price, so my experience is different from many others.

I feel appaled right now. I'm very happy about Next, expected to invite some friends to play with me.
I understand Hellow Games is a small team, but Gog didn't make much effort in announcing the new patch. There wasn't even a word mentioning Next until yesterday.

I love this game, I like Gog and their games, but in this situation I feel like I'm treated as a second class cititzen and that is a very disgusting feeling. I bought this game full price when it launched and I did it happily, I enjoyed the game a lot since I did that.

"Later this year" is not a date. It can be next week or it can be on December, three months later than everyone else.
Sincerely it' very unfair.

GoG should consider making this game available in GoG connect, so we don't have to repurchase the game in Steam to enjoy multiplayer.

I did, pre-ordered, and yet i can wait even longer - all the way to 2019, as it is said "this year" in this very OP. Even if the matter wouldn't be solved by then, i'd still move on without any hard feelings. Shit happens and all, and it ain't like i sold my last pants to get NMS.

However, many others will get really pissed off if things stay the same 1st January 2019. Now that the word of "this year" is out, there better be some kind of a solution - an option, - which would provide those angry about it with a way to get what they want, - indeed some time this year. Lots of folks will take this topic's opening post as a promise, even while it is clearly not: the expectation is only an expectation, not a promise. But lots of folks won't pay attention to such "small details", eh.

This particular story could well define whether gog would have any future as anything more than "old, single-player only" platform, or not. We'll see.

So they put multiplayer on Steam, PS4 and XBOX One,but not on GOG, classy...
GOG will lose a lot of money and trust because of this.

I can wait, but I want to see LAN support without the need to use any external application.
It is absurd to have to use GOG Galaxy and to have to log on some server somewhere just to play locally and technically it IS a form of DRM.

I really hope they'll get it right.

I can't believe anyone is still interested in this. I saw the mess the launch was - I mean it's become a by word for total disaster - and new then that I would never, under any circumstance go near it. Obviously some people like to torment themselves.

I cant speak for everyone else but personally I can wait a little longer. Why? because I appriciate the fact for the past 2 years hello games kept working essentially for free and beyond that its like whats the alterative? Its not like they could do anything different that would lead to a different outcome at the end of the day! Lets not forget they are a small team, if they decided to break away from platfrom specific multiplayer and implement their own infrastructure it would likely have taken more time to get that in place. Worst yet multiplayer would only work as long as hello games operate / hello games keep deciding its worth financing which is a big downside !

They too small to work on all platforms simultainously so all they could really have done is hold out the update for everyone until they finished working on the GOG multiplayer, that wouldnt have brought us any advantage, we'd still be getting it exactly when we are getting we'd just be penalising other platforms needlessly. Likewise they could have decided to hold out the gog update in its entirity until its finished, they didnt.. I am sure it took work to get that wroking too and I appriciate they made that effort so that I can get to experiance at least some of what the update has to offer rather then nothing until its fully complete.

Is it disappointing? yes ofcourse, especially if we get to miss out on a lot of the community stuff they have planned, But its the nature of the beast.. Platform purposefully keep their systems closed hoping that by doing so they'll force customers to them. As long as that happens (and it will keep happening) it means programming effort is required for every platform a development want to support which in turn means we have to always wait more then more platforms a game supports. The only choice is really should we all wait until the end or should we get support as each developer finish working on a specific platform? Personally I approve of Hello Games choice of getting it out as quickly as possible even though I know my platform is always going to be last since its the smallest of them all.

Unfortunately, while people aren't going to admit this, the problem here is self inflicted. Here's a few principles smart people abide by to avoid ever getting shafted on the consumer end in the gaming industry. What I'm about to say is not directed at you personally, but is a problem for many people within the gaming industry.

1) Don't let yourself get hyped up for ANY game

Part of the disappointment people have is they artificially drive up their own expectations. Disappointment is only compounded when certain development goals aren't met or delayed. Focusing on something else and getting on with your life is much more productive than bouncing up and down like a hyperactive child waiting for promises to be kept.

2) Don't pre-order EVER!!!

This really is a predatory practice in the industry that really needs to frickin die. Once you place down your hard earned cash for a game, you become more emotionally invested in the products development and the dev are now no longer obligated to fulfill that promise. They already have your money and now, you have no other bargaining chip. Granted, NMS devs haven't abandoned their product but I don't believe in putting money down for a product BEFORE its been delivered. When the game is in a state I'm happy with, then I'll buy it. If not, I have other priorities.

3) Don't buy games on day one

Somewhat overlaps with #2 but newly released games are still going to have bugs and opinions about the game haven't spread yet. Is getting a game on day 1 really much more important than a patched game? I'm sure people remember the Pillars of Eternity 2 fiasco when it was released. A little patience can save a lot of aggravation.

4) Reorganize your priorities

Even if a certain game isn't were it should be in it' development cycle, that's still no reason to moan about it, even after 2 years. Considering a lot of us have a ton of unplayed games, you can play one of those while you wait. You can also do something else with your time. I had a passing interest in NMS but after seeing what it was like after release I decided to wait. I lost nothing by waiting because there are other things for me to do. NMS was ever a priority in my life.

Unfortunately, people let themselves become too hyped up and instead of people being rational (ie. following the pointers above), you have people whining "Elliot......I mean......GOG you IDIOT!!! I WANTED THIS AND WAITED BLAH BLAH. Find the people responsible, I want them killed!!!!".

If people weren't in such a hurry to hand over money for development promises, the tone of this thread would be a lot different.

Can you please explain quite frankly as to why the No Mans Sky multi player is not available? Not to be grudge you or put you out i do love the anti drm stance I just wonder is that why we dont get the full experience here ? Please explain