independent digital PC game storefront

GOG

An independent PC game storefront known for DRM-free game sales, preservation-oriented releases, and a smaller alternative to dominant platform stores. GOG improved structurally after leaving CD Projekt ownership, but it remains privately controlled and still has ordinary storefront platform power.

Why this matters: GOG is a useful DRM-free alternative to Steam and console stores, and its 2025 ownership change matters for interpreting its independence.

Letter grade D Extractive Medium confidence (AI) Rubric gcd-rubric-v1 Parent / owner: Michał Kiciński / GOG holding Last reviewed May 7, 2026

GOG is owned by Michał Kiciński through the post-CD PROJEKT ownership structure; the owner profile is now listed separately.

Final Score 34* D - Extractive

DEXTRACTIVE34 pts

* Tentative scaffolding score. Not human-checked or final.

Base Material37

Bonus+4

Cap35Ownership <= 2 and Governance <= 2

After Cap35

Penalties-1

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Owned by Michał Kiciński / GOG holding

The parent profile is currently rated D (Extractive, 26*). This subsidiary is not mechanically capped at the parent score, but parent control is part of the ownership, governance, policy, accountability opacity, reversibility, and harm analysis.

Evaluation Overview

D - Extractive

The score turns mainly on Extraction, with the largest penalty coming from Ideological Disavowal.

Strengths

Extraction6/10
Loss-Bearing Fidelity5/7
Market Conduct5/5

Penalties

Ideological Disavowal-1

Evidence state

ConfidenceMedium confidence (AI)
ThoroughnessDeveloped (AI)
Linked claims7
Direct axis claims6
Coverage6/13

Scoring Axes

Axis	Score	Why this score
Ownership ? Control rights: shareholder-dominated at 0, worker cooperative control at 10.	2 / 10	GOG is operated by CD Projekt, a public company, rather than by users, workers, or developers. Calibration notes Comparative anchor: Toy, video-game, tabletop, and game-retail expansion; compare against Nintendo, Valve, Sony, Microsoft, Disney, GameStop, Hasbro, LEGO, Roblox, itch.io, Green Toys, PlanToys, and The Game Crafter. Uncertainty Focused category expansion based on public sources; a later pass should add more jurisdiction-specific labor, supply-chain, privacy, and product-safety evidence. Linked evidence GOG is operated by CD Projekt, a public company, rather than by users, workers, or developers. [1] context GOG sells PC games with a DRM-free model and preservation-oriented catalog. [2] context GOG’s DRM-free stance improves market conduct and user autonomy compared with more locked game stores. [3]
Governance ? Binding decision authority: centralized control at 0, democratic stakeholder control at 10.	2 / 10	GOG is operated by CD Projekt, a public company, rather than by users, workers, or developers. Calibration notes Comparative anchor: Toy, video-game, tabletop, and game-retail expansion; compare against Nintendo, Valve, Sony, Microsoft, Disney, GameStop, Hasbro, LEGO, Roblox, itch.io, Green Toys, PlanToys, and The Game Crafter. Uncertainty Focused category expansion based on public sources; a later pass should add more jurisdiction-specific labor, supply-chain, privacy, and product-safety evidence. Linked evidence context GOG is operated by CD Projekt, a public company, rather than by users, workers, or developers. [1] context GOG sells PC games with a DRM-free model and preservation-oriented catalog. [2] context GOG’s DRM-free stance improves market conduct and user autonomy compared with more locked game stores. [3]
Extraction ? Surplus allocation, wage share, CEO pay ratio, margins, and structured extraction judgment.	6 / 10	GOG is operated by CD Projekt, a public company, rather than by users, workers, or developers. GOG is operated by CD Projekt, a public company, rather than by users, workers, or developers. That places GOG in the middle of Extraction: the institution creates real value but still leaves room for rent extraction, unequal bargaining, or surplus capture. The value stays below the top tier because the linked record does not show full democratic control, non-extractive lock-in, or complete stakeholder protection on this axis. Calibration notes Comparative anchor: Toy, video-game, tabletop, and game-retail expansion; compare against Nintendo, Valve, Sony, Microsoft, Disney, GameStop, Hasbro, LEGO, Roblox, itch.io, Green Toys, PlanToys, and The Game Crafter. Uncertainty Focused category expansion based on public sources; a later pass should add more jurisdiction-specific labor, supply-chain, privacy, and product-safety evidence. Linked evidence context GOG is operated by CD Projekt, a public company, rather than by users, workers, or developers. [1] context GOG sells PC games with a DRM-free model and preservation-oriented catalog. [2] context GOG’s DRM-free stance improves market conduct and user autonomy compared with more locked game stores. [3]
Labor Sovereignty ? Worker power: coercive conditions at 0, co-determination or ownership at 7. Employee dissatisfaction matters only when source-backed evidence shows concrete limits on worker agency, such as coercive scheduling, retaliation, wage theft, harassment, unsafe conditions, suppression of worker voice, or extreme turnover.	4 / 7	GOG is operated by CD Projekt, a public company, rather than by users, workers, or developers. GOG is operated by CD Projekt, a public company, rather than by users, workers, or developers. That places GOG in the middle of Labor Sovereignty: workers or participants have some protection or agency, but not enough binding power to control the relationship. The value stays below the top tier because the linked record does not show full democratic control, non-extractive lock-in, or complete stakeholder protection on this axis. Calibration notes Comparative anchor: Toy, video-game, tabletop, and game-retail expansion; compare against Nintendo, Valve, Sony, Microsoft, Disney, GameStop, Hasbro, LEGO, Roblox, itch.io, Green Toys, PlanToys, and The Game Crafter. Uncertainty Focused category expansion based on public sources; a later pass should add more jurisdiction-specific labor, supply-chain, privacy, and product-safety evidence. Linked evidence context GOG is operated by CD Projekt, a public company, rather than by users, workers, or developers. [1] context GOG sells PC games with a DRM-free model and preservation-oriented catalog. [2] context GOG’s DRM-free stance improves market conduct and user autonomy compared with more locked game stores. [3]
Solidarity with the Unemployed ? Treatment of exits and nonworkers, including severance, redeployment, and non-competes.	4 / 7	GOG is operated by CD Projekt, a public company, rather than by users, workers, or developers. GOG is operated by CD Projekt, a public company, rather than by users, workers, or developers. That places GOG in the middle of Solidarity with the Unemployed: some access, severance, retraining, openness, or mutual-aid value is present, but it is not central or durable. The value stays below the top tier because the linked record does not show full democratic control, non-extractive lock-in, or complete stakeholder protection on this axis. Calibration notes Comparative anchor: Toy, video-game, tabletop, and game-retail expansion; compare against Nintendo, Valve, Sony, Microsoft, Disney, GameStop, Hasbro, LEGO, Roblox, itch.io, Green Toys, PlanToys, and The Game Crafter. Uncertainty Focused category expansion based on public sources; a later pass should add more jurisdiction-specific labor, supply-chain, privacy, and product-safety evidence. Linked evidence context GOG is operated by CD Projekt, a public company, rather than by users, workers, or developers. [1] context GOG sells PC games with a DRM-free model and preservation-oriented catalog. [2] context GOG’s DRM-free stance improves market conduct and user autonomy compared with more locked game stores. [3]
Loss-Bearing Fidelity ? Willingness to absorb costs to preserve values, workers, users, and public obligations.	5 / 7	GOG is operated by CD Projekt, a public company, rather than by users, workers, or developers. GOG is operated by CD Projekt, a public company, rather than by users, workers, or developers. That places GOG in the middle of Loss-Bearing Fidelity: there is some willingness to preserve obligations, but the record still leaves meaningful risk-shifting concerns. The value stays below the top tier because the linked record does not show full democratic control, non-extractive lock-in, or complete stakeholder protection on this axis. Calibration notes Comparative anchor: Toy, video-game, tabletop, and game-retail expansion; compare against Nintendo, Valve, Sony, Microsoft, Disney, GameStop, Hasbro, LEGO, Roblox, itch.io, Green Toys, PlanToys, and The Game Crafter. Uncertainty Focused category expansion based on public sources; a later pass should add more jurisdiction-specific labor, supply-chain, privacy, and product-safety evidence. Linked evidence context GOG is operated by CD Projekt, a public company, rather than by users, workers, or developers. [1] context GOG sells PC games with a DRM-free model and preservation-oriented catalog. [2] context GOG’s DRM-free stance improves market conduct and user autonomy compared with more locked game stores. [3]
Market Conduct ? Pricing fairness, switching costs, lock-in, and rent extraction.	5 / 5	GOG is operated by CD Projekt, a public company, rather than by users, workers, or developers. Calibration notes Comparative anchor: Toy, video-game, tabletop, and game-retail expansion; compare against Nintendo, Valve, Sony, Microsoft, Disney, GameStop, Hasbro, LEGO, Roblox, itch.io, Green Toys, PlanToys, and The Game Crafter. Uncertainty Focused category expansion based on public sources; a later pass should add more jurisdiction-specific labor, supply-chain, privacy, and product-safety evidence. Linked evidence context GOG is operated by CD Projekt, a public company, rather than by users, workers, or developers. [1] context GOG sells PC games with a DRM-free model and preservation-oriented catalog. [2] context GOG’s DRM-free stance improves market conduct and user autonomy compared with more locked game stores. [3]
Product Integrity ? Preservation of quality rather than degradation for monetization.	5 / 5	GOG sells PC games with a DRM-free model and preservation-oriented catalog. Calibration notes Comparative anchor: Toy, video-game, tabletop, and game-retail expansion; compare against Nintendo, Valve, Sony, Microsoft, Disney, GameStop, Hasbro, LEGO, Roblox, itch.io, Green Toys, PlanToys, and The Game Crafter. Uncertainty Focused category expansion based on public sources; a later pass should add more jurisdiction-specific labor, supply-chain, privacy, and product-safety evidence. Linked evidence context GOG is operated by CD Projekt, a public company, rather than by users, workers, or developers. [1] GOG sells PC games with a DRM-free model and preservation-oriented catalog. [2] context GOG’s DRM-free stance improves market conduct and user autonomy compared with more locked game stores. [3]
Scale Integrity ? Whether growth improves or degrades fairness and accountability.	4 / 5	GOG is operated by CD Projekt, a public company, rather than by users, workers, or developers. Calibration notes Comparative anchor: Toy, video-game, tabletop, and game-retail expansion; compare against Nintendo, Valve, Sony, Microsoft, Disney, GameStop, Hasbro, LEGO, Roblox, itch.io, Green Toys, PlanToys, and The Game Crafter. Uncertainty Focused category expansion based on public sources; a later pass should add more jurisdiction-specific labor, supply-chain, privacy, and product-safety evidence. Linked evidence context GOG is operated by CD Projekt, a public company, rather than by users, workers, or developers. [1] context GOG sells PC games with a DRM-free model and preservation-oriented catalog. [2] context GOG’s DRM-free stance improves market conduct and user autonomy compared with more locked game stores. [3]

Penalties

Penalty	Applied	Why this penalty
Ideological Disavowal ? Concealed ideology presented as neutrality, expertise, professional necessity, public-service administration, market inevitability, or non-ideological common sense while exercising power. Range: -3 to 0.	-1	GOG's public framing is assessed as ideological-disavowal evidence because GOG shows bounded neutrality theater: some contested choices are softened through expertise, public-interest,… GOG's public framing is assessed as ideological-disavowal evidence because GOG shows bounded neutrality theater: some contested choices are softened through expertise, public-interest, professional, market, safety, or institutional language, but the record does not show dominant concealment of standpoint. That warrants a limited Ideological Disavowal penalty because the institution presents situated, contested choices as neutrality, expertise, inevitability, safety, or common sense. The value is limited because the linked record shows a real problem but not one that dominates the profile on this axis. Calibration notes Comparative anchor: Ideological Disavowal 0 to -3 recalibration: 0 for explicit standpoint or no penalty-level neutrality theater; -1 for bounded softening of contested choices; -2 for strong neutrality theater by a powerful institution; -3 for major gatekeeping or coercive power presented as neutral, necessary, objective, or non-ideological. Uncertainty This recalibration uses public self-presentation and profile evidence; later review should add direct language-analysis evidence for high-impact institutions. Linked evidence GOG's public framing is assessed as ideological-disavowal evidence because GOG shows bounded neutrality theater: some contested choices are softened through expertise, public-interest, professional, market, safety, or institutional language, but the record does not show dominant concealment of standpoint. [7]

Bonus Credits

Bonus	Credit	Why this credit
Openness to Dissent ? Credit for tolerating internal, user, customer, worker, and public dissent without retaliation, capture, or viewpoint laundering.	1 / 3	GOG’s DRM-free stance improves market conduct and user autonomy compared with more locked game stores. GOG’s DRM-free stance improves market conduct and user autonomy compared with more locked game stores. That supports partial Openness to Dissent credit because people can criticize, dissent, or challenge the institution without being managed into silence. The value remains partial because the linked record does not show the practice as comprehensive, durable, or central enough for full credit. Calibration notes Comparative anchor: Toy, video-game, tabletop, and game-retail expansion; compare against Nintendo, Valve, Sony, Microsoft, Disney, GameStop, Hasbro, LEGO, Roblox, itch.io, Green Toys, PlanToys, and The Game Crafter. Uncertainty Focused category expansion based on public sources; a later pass should add more jurisdiction-specific labor, supply-chain, privacy, and product-safety evidence. Linked evidence GOG’s DRM-free stance improves market conduct and user autonomy compared with more locked game stores. [4]
Good Deal ? Credit for unusually fair value: durable quality, fair pricing, low lock-in, and clear customer surplus.	2 / 3	GOG’s DRM-free stance improves market conduct and user autonomy compared with more locked game stores. Calibration notes Comparative anchor: Toy, video-game, tabletop, and game-retail expansion; compare against Nintendo, Valve, Sony, Microsoft, Disney, GameStop, Hasbro, LEGO, Roblox, itch.io, Green Toys, PlanToys, and The Game Crafter. Uncertainty Focused category expansion based on public sources; a later pass should add more jurisdiction-specific labor, supply-chain, privacy, and product-safety evidence. Linked evidence GOG’s DRM-free stance improves market conduct and user autonomy compared with more locked game stores. [5]
Cost Transparency ? Credit for clear posted prices, all-in fees, unit costs, public rate cards, margin/cost visibility, or surplus-allocation transparency, especially in markets where opaque quotes, hidden fees, or individualized pricing are normal.	1 / 3	GOG is operated by CD Projekt, a public company, rather than by users, workers, or developers. Calibration notes Comparative anchor: Toy, video-game, tabletop, and game-retail expansion; compare against Nintendo, Valve, Sony, Microsoft, Disney, GameStop, Hasbro, LEGO, Roblox, itch.io, Green Toys, PlanToys, and The Game Crafter. Uncertainty Focused category expansion based on public sources; a later pass should add more jurisdiction-specific labor, supply-chain, privacy, and product-safety evidence. Linked evidence GOG is operated by CD Projekt, a public company, rather than by users, workers, or developers. [6]

Confidence Basis

Confidence is computed from the evidence trail and review state, not typed into the profile by hand.

Medium 65/100

7 verified linked claims 6 direct axis claims 0 disputed claims 6/13 components covered

This confidence label measures the source-backed evidence trail. AI-scaffolded scores remain tentative until human review.

Claim confidence 13/20

7 verified linked claims

Source quality 12/18

Best source per verified claim, weighted by institutional reliability

Direct axis-specific claims 6/18

6 direct claims across 13 active components

Dispute load 12/12

0 disputed claims on this entity

Recency 10/10

Newest accepted timestamp: May 13, 2026

Reviewer status 7/12

Human-reviewed components score higher than AI scaffolding

Component coverage 5/10

6/13 evidence-bearing components have direct support

Evidence State

Profile stateAI draft / human-pending

VerificationUnverified

ConfidenceMedium confidence (AI)

ThoroughnessDeveloped (AI)

Correction routeUse “Challenge this rating” for factual errors, missing counterevidence, source problems, or calculation mistakes.

Company responseCompany representatives can submit source-backed corrections; payment never changes scores or reviewer authority.

Claims and Sources

Claims are the evidence record. Each claim needs a source link, axis category, status, confidence level, and timestamp before it can support a score.

* Tentative scaffolding score. Not human-checked or final.

1GOG is operated by CD Projekt, a public company, rather than by users, workers, or developers.

Ownership Verified Medium confidence AI-generated / human-pending May 7, 2026

AI scaffold

GOG aboutOfficial self-description · 68%
GOG DRM-free supportGeneral web source · 58%

2GOG sells PC games with a DRM-free model and preservation-oriented catalog.

Product Integrity Verified Medium confidence AI-generated / human-pending May 7, 2026

AI scaffold

GOG aboutOfficial self-description · 68%
GOG DRM-free supportGeneral web source · 58%

3GOG’s DRM-free stance improves market conduct and user autonomy compared with more locked game stores.

Calculation Verified Medium confidence AI-generated / human-pending May 7, 2026

AI scaffold

CD Projekt investor relationsOfficial self-description · 68%

4GOG’s DRM-free stance improves market conduct and user autonomy compared with more locked game stores.

Openness To Dissent Verified Medium confidence AI-generated / human-pending May 7, 2026

AI scaffold

GOG aboutOfficial self-description · 68%
GOG DRM-free supportGeneral web source · 58%

5GOG’s DRM-free stance improves market conduct and user autonomy compared with more locked game stores.

Good Deal Verified Medium confidence AI-generated / human-pending May 7, 2026

AI scaffold

GOG aboutOfficial self-description · 68%
GOG DRM-free supportGeneral web source · 58%

6GOG is operated by CD Projekt, a public company, rather than by users, workers, or developers.

Cost Transparency Verified Medium confidence AI-generated / human-pending May 7, 2026

AI scaffold

GOG aboutOfficial self-description · 68%
GOG DRM-free supportGeneral web source · 58%

7GOG's public framing is assessed as ideological-disavowal evidence because GOG shows bounded neutrality theater: some contested choices are softened through expertise, public-interest, professional, market, safety, or institutional language, but the record does not show dominant concealment of standpoint.

Ideological Disavowal Verified Medium confidence AI-generated / human-pending May 9, 2026

AI scaffold

GOG official siteGeneral web source · 58%
GOG aboutOfficial self-description · 68%
GOG DRM-free supportGeneral web source · 58%

Alternatives

Competitors

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