Over 1,500 games on GOG are missing updates, DLC, and features available elsewhere

The digital game distribution platform GOG, known for its collection of retro PC games, indie releases, and a few AAA titles, has come under scrutiny for a significant issue affecting hundreds of its offerings. A continuously updated online spreadsheet has catalogued over 1,500 discrepancies, with roughly 1,531 issues impacting 1,140 games.

These problems include the absence of updates, downloadable content, additional languages, and various features that are readily available on competing platforms like Steam and the Epic Games Store.

Major titles such as Fallout 4, No Man's Sky, and the Metro series are among those affected. For instance, the next-generation update for Fallout 4 has never been released on GOG. Similarly, the macOS port of No Man's Sky is exclusive to Steam, while Metro 2033 Redux and Metro Last Light Redux support macOS, the Epic Games Store, and the Mac App Store, but not GOG.

Additionally, some games on GOG lack free and paid DLC, fail to include bundled soundtracks, and miss out on certain languages. French, German, and Spanish are the languages most frequently omitted, followed by Italian, Russian, Japanese, Korean, and Chinese.

The discrepancies primarily stem from developers and publishers responsible for maintaining their games across multiple PC storefronts. Notable publishers struggling with the issue include Devolver Digital and THQ Nordic GmbH, with 29 affected games each. Bethesda, Square Enix, Daedalic Entertainment, and others are also affected by more than a dozen titles.

While these games likely sell better on Steam, some GOG users prefer purchasing them from GOG due to its strict anti-DRM policy. Users appreciate the ability to download offline installation packages not linked to their accounts, making them ideal for backups. However, the absence of multiplayer or other online features in some GOG versions might explain the platform's shortcomings.