Co-founder of CD Projekt Michał Kiciński has acquired GOG, the company’s game storefront

Michał Kiciński, co-founder of CD Projekt, full owner of DRM-free video game storefront GOG. The digital video game platform was launched by CD Projekt in 2008 with the stated mission of “Good Old Games” (hence the acronym GOG). CD Projekt is known for its CD Projekt Red game studio, developers The Witcher series and Cyberpunk 2077.

GOG said Kiciński bought 100 percent of its shares for PLN 90.7 million ($25 million). The acquisition was financed entirely through committed financing obtained during the closing of the sale and did not involve the sale of any of Kiciński’s CD Projekt shares.

The storefront will continue to operate independently under its new owner, true to its DRM-free philosophy and ongoing work to keep classic titles playable on modern PCs. After the sale, CD Projekt and GOG signed a distribution agreement that will allow CD Projekt Red games to continue to be listed on GOG.

Although the press release for the sale did not mention a reason, a statement published Monday in the Regulatory Announcements section of CD Projekt’s website states that “the sale of GOG shares is consistent with the growth strategy of the CD PROJEKT Group, which involves focusing on the company’s core business, i.e. the development and publishing of video games and related projects based on owned and new franchises.” The report also describes a “competitive sales process,” implying that Kiciński may not have been the only bidder.

While it appears Kiciński will play an active role within GOG following its acquisition, his current involvement at CD Projekt is less clear. It remains one but is not listed on the company’s nor its own.