GOG (Formerly Good Old Games) posted a notice on Thursday evening that several EA Games will be removed from the storefront on Monday, June 28th. The games facing removal are Ultima Underworld 1+2, Syndicate Plus, and Syndicate Wars, at "publishers' request".
Ultima Underworld 1+2 is a package including Ultima Underworld: The Stygian Abyss, and Ultima Underworld II: Labyrinth of Worlds. The first title released in early 1992, Ultima Underworld was an early 3D and immersive sim game created by Blue Sky Productions/Looking Glass Studios as a spinoff of the Ultima series. While Doom was the breakthrough high-paced 3D shooter, Ultima Underworld showed more world simulation aspects and was a breakthrough title, and is a key foundational title for immersive sims. Both titles are included in the package.
Syndicate Plus, and Syndicate Wars are two titles from Bullfrog Productions that make up the original entries in the Syndicate series. These titles are known for their freeform nature letting you use your team to accomplish, or not, getting what your employers want in a dystopian future ruled by mega-corps (no comment on if any of them are called Amazon, Google, or Microsoft). The expansion for Syndicate, American Revolution is also included in its purchase.
The announcement for the removal of these games from the GOG library went up quietly on the GOG forums merely stating that it was at the publisher's request and would take place Monday, June 28th at 1PM UTC. For those who own the games, there will be no impact and they'll remain in your library. If you don't own them, they are currently available at 75% off (linked above on the titles), meaning for about $5 you can pick up all of the games if you want to own some classic PC gaming.
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What do you think of EA removing these games from GOG? Do you think EA has plans for any of the IPs? Let us know in the comments below!
