Michael Kicinski acquires GOG from CD Projekt, terms not disclosed

Michal Kicinski, one of the co-founders of CD Projekt (OTGLY) and the co-founder of PC gaming storefront GOG, has acquired GOG from CD Projekt, according to a blog post. “We believe the games that shaped us deserve to stay alive: easy to find, buy, download, and play forever,” GOG said in a statement. “But time is annoyingly good at erasing them. Rights get tangled, compatibility breaks, builds disappear, and a nostalgic evening often turns into a troubleshooting session. That’s the difference between “I’m playing today” (the game lives on) and “I’ll play someday” (the game dies). As Micha put it: “GOG stands for freedom, independence, and genuine control.” GOG has always been built on strong values and clear principles. When Marcin Iwinski and Micha Kicinski first came up with the idea for GOG in 2007, the vision was simple: bring classic games back to players, and make sure that once you buy a game, it truly belongs to you, forever. In a market increasingly defined by mandatory clients and closed ecosystems, that philosophy feels more relevant than ever. This new chapter is about doubling down on that vision. We want to do more to preserve the classics of the past, celebrate standout games of today, and help shape the classics of tomorrow, including new games with real retro spirit.” GOG added that games on the platform will still be DRM-free and that it plans to maintain its relationship with CD Projekt, with CD Projekt Red games such as “Cyberpunk” and “The Witcher” still available for purchase on the platform, as well as upcoming titles from the studio. Other companies in the PC storefront space include Valve, Take-Two (TTWO), Activision (MSFT), and Epic Games. Investors in Epic include Tencent (TCEHY), KKR (KKR), Disney (DIS), and Sony (SONY).