RTS classics Warcraft 1 and 2 are being delisted from GOG just weeks after Blizzard released remasters for them, but GOG is standing by its commitment to preserve them with updates

Key art for Warcraft: Orcs and Humans.
(Image credit: Blizzard Entertainment)

Just weeks after the surprise launch of remasters for Warcraft 1 and 2, it's been confirmed that the originals are going to be delisted from GOG this month, but the storefront is committed to preserving them for those who buy the RTS classics before then.

Last month, digital game storefront GOG unveiled its Game Preservation Program – a new effort to build a collection of  "classic games that GOG has improved, with a commitment of our own resources to ensure their compatibility with modern systems and make them as enjoyable to play as possible." With promises of the games in the program being "the best and most complete" versions possible, complete with extra quality-of-life improvements and a commitment to making them work "on current and future popular PC configurations," it's a huge win for game preservation, but apparently it's not totally perfect. Warcraft 1 and 2 are both part of this program, but they won't be available for purchase from December 13.

In a new blog post, GOG describes this as "heartbreaking news," and says, "even with our best efforts and dedication to game preservation, sometimes things don’t go as we'd hoped." 

However, while it won't be able to sell the RTS games for much longer, it's updated its Game Preservation Program policy to make an additional promise, both to Warcraft 1 and 2, and any other games included in the program. "Going forward, even if a game is no longer available for sale on GOG, as part of the GOG Preservation Program, it will continue to be maintained and updated by us, ensuring it remains compatible with modern and future systems," it says.

Because of the offline drivers that come with GOG games, delisting them won't make them inaccessible for anyone who's already bought them. The storefront is even making them more affordable for anyone who's yet to grab them, with a $2/£1.50 discount code ('MakeWarcraftLiveForever'), which can be used once per user. 

As PC Gamer writes, the two RTS games are also available to buy from Battle.net, and it's not clear if they're also going to be delisted from there. Either way, they differ from the GOG versions, which offer some improvements including "small DOSBox tweaks to improve performance and compatibility" of Warcraft 1, for example. Needless to say, now's the time to add them to your library if you haven't already.

The same US Copyright Office decision that struck down a major game preservation effort also quietly reversed a historic DMCA win for accessibility advocates.

CATEGORIES
PRODUCTS
Catherine Lewis
News Writer

I'm one of GamesRadar+'s news writers, who works alongside the rest of the news team to deliver cool gaming stories that we love. After spending more hours than I can count filling The University of Sheffield's student newspaper with Pokemon and indie game content, and picking up a degree in Journalism Studies, I started my career at GAMINGbible where I worked as a journalist for over a year and a half. I then became TechRadar Gaming's news writer, where I sourced stories and wrote about all sorts of intriguing topics. In my spare time, you're sure to find me on my Nintendo Switch or PS5 playing through story-driven RPGs like Xenoblade Chronicles and Persona 5 Royal, nuzlocking old Pokemon games, or going for a Victory Royale in Fortnite.

Read more
Dino Crisis
DRM-free store GOG launches a new way for fans to influence which games get preserved "forever," and players are going to bat for Diablo 2, OG Final Fantasy 7, and a pile of cult classics
Samurai Jack Battle Through Time
Warner Bros. is inexplicably delisting a bunch of games without warning, again, and devs are once again distraught: "We are heartbroken"
FEAR
GOG slashes classic horror FPS FEAR to $1 and speeds up its preservation program launch "to properly recognize Monolith's contributions to gaming" after shock closure by WB
Command and Conquer: Generals
EA is "releasing the fully recovered source code" for 4 classic Command & Conquer titles, and it's the best thing a major publisher can do for game preservation
Daggerfall Unity
Controversial version of Elder Scrolls 2: Daggerfall's fan remaster delisted from GOG, storefront says it "no longer fulfills its purpose of providing a hassle-free modded experience"
Mario
Nintendo Switch Online drops a game from its lineup for the first time ever, and the "concerning" move has fans worried: "This sets an upsetting precedent"
Latest in Real Time Strategy
Key art for in Grit and Valor - 1949 showing pilots in front of their mechs
This roguelike strategy game puts you in charge of a dieselpunk alt-WW2 mech squad, and its Steam Next Fest demo is wonderfully bite-sized
Command and Conquer: Generals
EA is "releasing the fully recovered source code" for 4 classic Command & Conquer titles, and it's the best thing a major publisher can do for game preservation
Key art for Age of Empires Mobile
The RTS genre "hasn’t changed much" says former Age of Empires developer, "you’re still playing the same game we’re playing 20 years ago"
Kingmakers
"We're obsessed": After quietly dropping the best trailer of 2024, bizarre-o strategy game shows off incredible destruction tech – "If you drive a car full speed into a medieval tavern, well..."
Warcraft 2 just got its "first balance changes in 24 years," including a nerf RTS players have wanted since 1995
Key art for Warcraft: Orcs and Humans.
RTS classics Warcraft 1 and 2 are being delisted from GOG just weeks after Blizzard released remasters for them, but GOG is standing by its commitment to preserve them with updates
Latest in News
Saints Row Review
Saber Interactive CEO says Saints Row had to die because the games were too expensive: "The days of throwing money at games other than the GTAs of the world is over"
Team Liquid clears Chrome King Gallywix
World of Warcraft's latest raid race ends in disappointment after 12 days with a final boss so lackluster the team who won was visibly confused to have beaten it
Mario odyssey screenshot showing mario standing with sentient forks
8 years later, Super Mario Odyssey players are still getting awed by the discovery that you can destroy metal crates by turning into a bird and pecking them 200 times
Wyrdsong
Skyrim and Fallout veterans' new open-world RPG is now a roguelike that's not open-world, after funding issues brought the team "down to a skeleton crew"
Diego Luna as Cassian Andor in Andor season 2
Andor showrunner Tony Gilroy says his Star Wars show is trying to be "more serious about this sh*t than anybody ever has been"
Baldur's Gate 3 screenshot showing companion Shadowheart, a young half-elf woman with long tied-back black hair
Baldur's Gate 3 animation impresses Larian Studios, prompting one dev to say "mature" animation of the RPG "would pop the f*** off"