GOG is Seemingly Planning to Introduce Monthly Subscriptions

Big or small, every digital video game store has a defining feature that sets it apart from the rest – Steam boasts the largest selection of games and features, Epic Games Store prides itself on regular free game giveaways and a lower 12% marketplace cut, GOG stands out by offering DRM-free games, meaning once purchased, they're truly owned, and so on.

Apparently, the latter on this list may be on the verge of compromising its core shtick, with GOG's recent survey strongly suggesting that CD Projekt, the platform's owner, is considering introducing monthly subscriptions, potentially undermining the main appeal that has drawn customers to the platform.

Highlighted in a recent Reddit post by user Noname_FTW, the survey in question includes a range of questions pertaining to subscription services and their potential introduction on GOG, asking about the services you currently use, the perks you'd want from a GOG monthly subscription, how much you'd be willing to pay each month, and what incentives would convince you to subscribe, among other topics.

Following the initial discussions on social media and forums, ResetEra user gagewood also shared the survey itself, allowing you to check the questions firsthand and even leave a comment at the end to share your thoughts. You can participate in the survey by following this link.

Naturally, the gaming community largely disliked the idea of GOG introducing monthly subscriptions, mainly for the reason mentioned in this article's first paragraph – subscription models being the polar opposite of the platform's main appeal of true game ownership, without which many feel there wouldn't be much reason to use GOG in the first place.

Other points of criticism include concerns that a subscription model could worsen the experience for non-subscribers and that the survey itself is structured in a way that makes it difficult to criticize the idea in most of the questions.

The backlash even prompted a response from GOG, with a representative assuring users that DRM won't be introduced and offline installers aren't going anywhere, however, since the community grabbed torches and pitchforks because of the very notion of GOG adopting subscriptions, this reassurance did little to calm the debacle.

Although neither the survey nor the representative's statement confirmed that CD Projekt is actively planning to add subscriptions to GOG, the idea becomes more understandable when viewed in the context of CDPR's recent financial report, which revealed that GOG's sales revenue declined year-over-year, dropping from 234,969 thousand PLN in 2023 to 199,338 thousand PLN in 2024.

The platform's net profit paints an even darker picture with a drop of nearly 90% – from 10,255 thousand PLN (around $2.65 million) in 2023 to just 1,134 thousand PLN (about $293,000) in 2024. Given this financial downturn, the introduction of monthly subscriptions on GOG appears to be not just a possibility, but an unavoidable certainty, unless CDPR's current and upcoming games, such as The Witcher 4, can come to the store's rescue.

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