Following Blizzard‘s quiet launch of Warcraft 1 Remastered and Warcraft 2 Remastered, the company has announced that the originals of each will be delisted from GOG’s storefront. There’s no surprise there, given that the remasters of 1 and 2 go for $10 and $15, respectively, whereas the originals can be purchased together in a bundle for $15. Clearly, Blizzard wants to shuffle people towards the shiny, new editions over the DRM-free classics for a few extra bucks.
So what does this mean for current Warcraft 1 and 2 owners on GOG? Fortunately, there’s good news. GOG is inducting the duo into their Preservation Program. If you haven’t heard of this program, it’s the free service provided by GOG to ensure that older games remain playable on modern systems. That’s right; the distribution platform owner, CD Projekt, is personally updating tons of old games—the list currently contains the original Resident Evil trilogy, the first Diablo, SWAT 4, Alpha Protocol and much more—to keep them accessible for longtime fans and newer generations.
Here’s what GOG had to say about Blizzard’s recent delisting announcement:
Although these pioneers of the RTS genre are leaving our store, as part of the GOG Preservation Program, we are committed to maintaining and updating them so they’ll live forever in your library. Both titles introduced groundbreaking mechanics and marked the beginning of Azeroth’s story, making their preservation essential.
If you’re interested in snagging the original versions of Warcraft 1 and 2, they can be purchased as a bundle here.
