GOG has announced the GOG Preservation Program, an initiative that aims to keep certain games playable forever no matter whether their developers are still supporting them or not.
Over on the official Preservation Program website, the company warns that "time is erasing the games that shaped you", but that "we can fight back" through the program, which "ensures classic games remain playable on modern systems".
According to GOG, games that belong to the initiative will be DRM-free and eligible for "dedicated tech support", so even if something does go wrong, you'll be able to get help to fix it.
In a followup thread on X (formerly Twitter), GOG says that the initiative features "updated, improved, or quality-tested builds", and that if you see the Preservation Program stamp on a game's GOG page, that means you'll be able to enjoy it on your PC "hassle-free".
Games currently included in the program include the likes of the original three Resident Evil games, the original Diablo and its Hellfire expansion, and Heroes of Might and Magic 3, as well as Legacy of Kain: Defiance, Dragon Age: Origins, and more.
GOG cites the Video Game History Foundation as saying that "87% of games created before 2010 are inaccessible today", a sobering statistic that demonstrates just how necessary an initiative like this really is.
You'll also find an FAQ on the Preservation Program's website that provides more information about the initiative. It includes info like what to do when a stamped game doesn't work, as well as whether classic GOG games are necessarily worse than those included in the Program (the answer being no, of course).
GOG says it wants "hundreds of games" to come with the GOG Preservation Program stamp by the end of 2025, so you can expect lots more games to be added to this initiative as time goes on. Stay tuned for more.
