So I checked my library, and noticed that 3 games have been updated. Cool! Two out of three even came with a changelog, i.e. Gog was kind enough to let me know what the update is about. Thanks Gog, you shouldn't have!

However, I only noticed by accident, since not a single one of these updates came with a notification. Come to think of it, it's been ages since I last received one update notification. I don't remember exactly when they stopped working, and I don't know exactly which platforms are affected by this issue (amusingly enough, notifications work just fine in the old Downloader) but it's been several months since I stopped receiving them via browser.

Honestly, it's disheartening how this site is slowly falling apart and Gog seems not to care. I know there's a ton of stuff that needs fixing and Top Men™ are always busy, but seriously, this is basic site functionality. Is there any plan for a fix? At this point I'm starting to wonder if I should just consider this a feature™...

Notifications are spotty at best. Over 2/3 of updates to my games don't register (you can still check them with barefoot essentials or GOG Galaxy with auto updates turned off). Updates have to be properly fixed before notifications are worth it.

Also, message gog support if you're disappointed. They should know.

no

The "function" is known to be broken for years.
Do not expect GOG will fix it soon.

I am confused. If you didn't get any update notifications in your library, how then could you tell you had 3 games updated?

To me it doesn't seem to be a bug but intentional, and this is how it goes nowadays:

1. That "notification bell" on the top of your browser, it is not meant for game updates. Its description says, and I quote:
"YOUR NOTIFICATIONS: See new chat messages, forum replies, friend invites, as well as important announcements and deals relevant to you."

It says nothing about game update notifications, so the game update flag notifications are not even supposed to come there.

2. If you go to your library https://www.gog.com/account there you get the game update flags. You click on that small arrow and select "updated" to see which games have an update flag. Whether all updated games get an update flag is a different question though, it may be sometimes GOG either forgets to raise the update flag for some updated game, or feels it is an unimportant change to e.g. the installer (no changes to game files) that doesn't deserve an update notification.

So yes, to see if some games in your library have received updates, you are supposed to visit your game library. Or are we talking about something else here? Broken in what way? To me it seems to work as intended, it just seems many people are confused what the function of that "notification bell" on the top is.

Yes, earlier it would get game update notifications as well, but now those notifications are separated into the library. To me that kinda makes sense, that notification bell is reserved for "community flags", while the library has the game update flags. In fact I hated it when the game update notifications and forum reply (or chat message) notifications would come to that same place as I'd think "hey I have 10 new forum replies, cool!", only to find out it was actually just 1 reply and 9 game updates that have been there for ages, and wouldn't go away until I either download those games or at least check their changelog.

I rather have that "notification bell" reserved for forum/chat/friend invites, just like it is nowadays. If I want to see what is updated in my game library, I go to my game library.

Only 1/3 of game updates really got the flag.
https://www.gog.com/forum/general/the_what_did_just_update_thread/post18457

It became better last month, but only 1/2 of game updates got the flag.
https://www.gog.com/forum/general/the_what_did_just_update_thread/post18785

Soon.™

Yup, that's what I'm talking about, not the blue dots in the library. Notifications [1] work just fine for chat and forum replies, but I stopped receiving those related to game updates a long time ago. Then yes, sure, there's all sort of problems with missing changelogs, silent updates, galaxy-only updates etc. that stem from handling the updates manually, but that's another story.

Anyway, as for notification not being supposed to work for game updates, I dunno, that's how they worked when I registered here in 2011 when the site was still focused on good Old games (which obviously weren't going to see much updatin' action) and kept working until sometime in 2017. Notifications were useful before and now.that we're in the era of early access and new and newish games that get update fairly often they're more important than ever. Why would Gog get rid of them now? It makes no sense.

And besides, this happens only while I'm using the site on Firefox. I can't check on Galaxy but the Downloader still gets notifications, which means they are still being sent, so I'm inclined to think this is a bug. Yeah, I'll do just that. I meant to do it a while ago but then I had a problem with captcha and forgot to try again.

But you do see the update flags in your library, and can even filter only updated games in the view, right? Is your only problem now that you don't get those same update notifications in your main view (or e.g. the forum), but have to make two clicks to get to your library to see which games, if any, have received updates?

As for why, I presume the reason is Galaxy. If you are using Galaxy (especially with early-access games which are getting updates frequently, and more frequently in Galaxy than for the offline installers), then the basic presumption probably is that you have auto-update enabled for your games, and you are less interested to get constant offline installer update notifications, you might not even want to see them (along with your community updates, like forum replies, chat messages etc.) because your games get auto-updated anyway.

I presume the old GOG Downloader client gets the update flags from the same place where your library view (account) gets them. For instance, when I now go to https://www.gog.com/account I instantly see that I have 1421 games total, of which 1 has received an update. If I want to see what that updated game is, I select the "updated" filter from the small arrow. See the attached picture (gog_updates.jpg).

I fail to see this as a real issue, and I personally even prefer it this way because I didn't like it before when I didn't know without checking whether the "updates" I was informed of were forum replies, or game installer updates, and I wouldn't get rid of the game installer update flags without going through them one by one, e.g. checking their changelogs (if available) or initiate downloads. Now the game updates are in a different view and I like that because now if I see some number >0 in the notification icon, I know instantly there something that I should check right away (forum replies, chat messages, wishlisted item on sale...) and not just the same 20 game update flags that have been there waiting for me to clear them for the last few weeks, or months.

I am quite certain this is not a bug, but the intended way it is working now. The notification icon description doesn't even say anything about informing about game installer updates.

No.
Many true changes, with long long long changelogs updates, got zero flag.
While some useless changes got update flag.
GOG's update flag system is just a garbage.

Yeah, though the issue is more about having to actively monitor my library than the number of clicks required. A while ago Gog was kind enough to let me know that "hey, dude, we've updated something, check your library" without any imput from me. Now it doesn't.
While it's not a big issue most of the time, there are a few games I want updated ASAP, and it's really annoying having to check my library or the "what did just update" thread several times a day. Also, maybe it's just me, but I don't think it's a good sign when a website ends up having even less features than it had seven years ago, without even improving in other areas.

If that's their basis for getting rid of the feature it's a very weak one. Auto updates are optional, not everyone use them, and those who don't could still use the notifications.

It also says something about "important announcements" and "deals" for that matter, but I have never received any of those. But let's assume that you're correct and things are working as intended: I still don't see why users who don't use Galaxy should be penalized for those who do. It wasn't a perfect system before (as you said, they could have separated game notification from PM and forum replies) but it was very convenient. Removing it entirely makes no sense to me.

Anyway, I sent a ticket, let's see if/what they reply.