GOG has built its reputation on consumer rights, DRM-free distribution, and preserving classic PC titles. But a newly updated community tracker paints a starkly different picture for buyers today. According to a widely referenced spreadsheet titled “Games that treat GOG customers as 2nd Class,” the platform currently hosts 1,140 games with at least one documented shortcoming when compared to versions on rival storefronts like Steam. In total, the list catalogs 1,531 distinct issues across its entries.
The spreadsheet, which originally launched in a GOG forum thread in 2018 and has since ballooned to over 400 pages, was last updated on August 11, 2026. It serves as a crowdsourced audit of how faithfully publishers port and maintain their libraries on GOG’s infrastructure. While the platform’s DRM-free stance remains a major draw, the data suggests that buying a game here does not always guarantee parity with other digital retailers.
Tracking GOG Game Issues Since 2018
The persistence of this spreadsheet highlights how long the problem has festered. Rather than being a sudden quality drop, these discrepancies represent years of uneven patch deployment and incomplete localization efforts. The tracker categorizes problems into eight distinct tiers, making it easy to see where publishers consistently cut corners.
Missing soundtracks top the list with 439 reported issues, followed closely by missing updates at 308 and missing builds at 278. Paid DLC gaps account for 200 issues, while missing features, languages, free DLC, and region locks round out the remaining 153 combined entries. These numbers are not theoretical; they represent actual files, patches, or regional unlocks that buyers paid for but never receive.
What Exactly Is Missing?
Understanding the breakdown helps clarify why these gaps matter. A missing soundtrack isn’t just a cosmetic annoyance; it often means the audio files are either stripped from the installation directory or delivered in a significantly lower bitrate than the Steam or Epic Games Store versions. Similarly, missing builds frequently refer to 64-bit executables, Linux support, or optimized configurations for modern hardware that GOG customers are forced to run without.
Missing updates are particularly frustrating for players who rely on GOG for stability. When a publisher pushes a critical hotfix or a Unity security patch to Steam but leaves the GOG catalog untouched, buyers are left running outdated, potentially vulnerable software. The tracker also flags 12 region-locking issues, meaning certain titles restrict gameplay based on geographic IP addresses even after purchase.
For developers and publishers, the gap usually stems from pipeline priorities. Steam’s massive install base and integrated workshop ecosystem make it the default testing ground for most studios. GOG often receives the “maintenance mode” treatment, where initial ports are handled, but subsequent patches, localization passes, and DLC integrations are deprioritized until resources allow.
Notable Offenders and Special Cases
While the spreadsheet covers hundreds of publishers, a handful of companies consistently appear at the top of the list. Devolver Digital and THQ Nordic GmbH each hold 29 documented issues across their respective catalogs, making them the most frequently cited publishers for incomplete releases.
Among the tracked titles, two games received special mentions for particularly egregious omissions. The Messenger, developed by Sabotage and published by Devolver Digital, is flagged for missing a Unity security update alongside a soundtrack that delivers noticeably lower audio quality than its Steam counterpart. Nuclear Throne carries five separate issues, including a missing 10-year anniversary update, absent language packs, stripped challenge modes, a truncated soundtrack, and a missing Linux build.
These examples illustrate that the problem spans both AAA-adjacent publishers and independent studios. Even games with dedicated modding communities or long development histories are not immune to incomplete GOG deployments.
What This Means for You
If you value DRM-free ownership and GOG’s return policy, the platform still offers genuine benefits. However, the spreadsheet forces a difficult trade-off: you are paying a premium for preservation and ownership rights, but you may be receiving a product that is functionally incomplete compared to other stores. The irony is palpable when buyers choose GOG specifically to avoid platform restrictions, only to encounter content restrictions that defeat the purpose.
For everyday players, the practical takeaway is verification before purchase. The gap between what you expect and what you install can be bridged by checking patch notes, community forums, and the tracker itself. GOG’s customer support can sometimes assist with missing files, but they cannot generate content that the publisher never delivered.
How to Check Before You Buy
Before finalizing a purchase on GOG, take a few minutes to cross-reference the title against the community tracker. Look for the specific category of issue, as a missing soundtrack is easily worked around, while a missing update or region lock can fundamentally break gameplay. Additionally, check the game’s official forum thread or the publisher’s social media channels for GOG-specific patch schedules.
If a title has a history of incomplete deployments, consider waiting for a confirmed parity patch or purchasing through a storefront known for faster multi-platform synchronization. The DRM-free advantage is real, but it should not come at the cost of receiving a half-finished product.
Source: Latest from Windows Central
Over to you: Will you continue purchasing DRM-free titles on GOG despite the documented content gaps, or does this shift your preference to Steam?
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