If you downloaded them they then exist on whatever storage device you put them on, where they are then ready to be installed by you without the requirement of an internet connection.

Yes. Nothing at all. The "connection" is nothing but GoG looking up whatever games are currently available via connect in your Steam library. If they are there, GoG - not Steam - adds them to your GoG library. That's it. The only thing GoG gets from Steam is an initial piece of information. There is no ongoing checking. The game added to your GoG library is added by GoG. Only GoG can take it away from you.

And because of that it's absolutely fine if they get removed from your library. I bet that you'd be ok if some games get removed from your GoG account for some reason. I'll tell you something: I'm not, and that's why I'd prefer to buy them than getting them for free* if that could happen.
And they reserve the right to do so if they don't find the games there anymore, which is exactly what happens if you deactivate your Steam account. That's my concern, which has nothing to do with backups.
Probably anti-spam filter, to avoid copy-paste of the same posts over and over

Ah :) It was driving me crazy XD

I'll try to paste my post here in my reply and see if that works:



I would also like to know what happens.

A friend of mine bought a game but it turned out that it's connected to Steam so she hasn't touch it yet (she's like me and doesn't like the Steam client and the fact that you are only renting games).

The game is not on GOG at the moment but the earlier games are so it might be added later as well, and if it's added she could perhaps make a Steam account to get access to her game, and then get the game on GOG and close her Steam account. But the question is: does she get to keep her game on GOG in that case?

It's not a problem at this moment since the game isn't on GOG yet, but it might be something for GOG and Steam to think about and decide how it will work so their customers can make informed decisions :)

It wouldn't be "fine". But I am prepared for the possibility with a backup of the installers / patches.

Which, to me, is the largest selling point of this store.

So go buy them, because it *could* happen. Or buy them if and when it does happen. I have a tough time imagining that every single Connect-ed game would get pulled at the same time, and further have a tough time imagining that you would then be facing a large all-at-once expense to purchase those titles in order to put them back in your library.

Worst case scenario: gOg DOES pull all of them at once. What are your options? Buy them piecemeal, buy them here and there as sales and funds allow, buy only some of them because maybe you have some that you don't feel like playing again. Or buy none of them because you (hopefully) already downloaded the DRM-free installers. At no point, assuming you have taken advantage of the DRM-free benefits, can they harm the product as you obtained it in its last state before they pulled it.

One might also argue that all the anger GOG would produce by removing games from librarys is not worth it because they did offer the games DRM-free meaning several users might have as well already backed up their games. So even IF (and imo that still is a big IF) GOG would remove games from the library they cannot be sure that the customer doesn't have access to them anymore so why even bother (with double checking, removing, contacting the customer, getting copmplaints about it) at all?

Still no guarantee here but if GOG is thinking just a tiny bit economic it's totally out of the question. I give it a 99% that nothing is happening and can live with the remaining percent of uncertainty ;)

Just for grins, try this test to see what happens. You'll still have your Steam account just in case it all goes to hell (it won't, but still):

Set your Steam profile to Private, or whatever setting is the opposite of Public.

At that point, gOg will no longer be able to see if you still have title XYZ in your Steam library that you then got here through Connect. Wait a couple months and take a look at your gOg library to see if the game is still there. If they are periodically scanning members' accounts to make sure they still have the Connect-ed titles, then maybe they will disappear from your library.

To be even more thorough with a test, request that Steam Support change your username. You'll still have the Steam account and your games, but gOg won't recognize it as as existing account since they'll only know to keep searching the original account name that you gave them previously. If your games disappear from your gOg library, then report back to us that they do indeed remove games as mentioned in your concerns.


I REALLY don't think gOg is that concerned about the ongoing contents of your Steam account library. DRM-free is built on trust, and I think that once the initial verification happens and your game gets Connect-ed, then there's no more concern from gOg to make sure that title remains in your account, or that your account is still extant. That would go against the spirit of DRM-free, and I don't think they would gain anything but bad publicity by making that move.

That won't work. GOG is linking a Steam account via its user id, not via its username (which can be changed manually, by the way).

Good ways of testing indeed :) But I'm waiting for a new answer from the Support team, maybe they can permanently solve this dilemma this time, so I'll wait for that first. I'll report back whatever that's gonna be.

Then the test falls back to setting it to Private, where they shouldn't be able to see the contents of one's library for periodic verification?

Indeed, they can't see the current contents of your library with a private profile. And indeed, there will be users that will set their profile to public only to claim the games and then reset it to private afterwards (and I have heard from at least one user that had no problems keeping their Connected games with a private profile). But, since Connect occurs every once in a while, those users will reset their profile to public again and GOG can rescan their libraries for any new additions or removals.

Now, have I heard of any incident that resulted in removed Connect games? No, but then again, I am just a user and not someone that works for GOG. Although, I do believe that not even GOG has seriously considered the possibility presented by the OP.

If that's how it would work - that they would only check when the customer next opts to partake in Connect - then the OP is good-to-go. With deletion of the Steam account, there would be no further actions on that account through Connect, and thus gOg couldn't use that opportunity to see if games have been removed from the Steam account.

This would be great, but it would also mean that the FAQ #15 is there only for legal purposes, because if this is how the system works, then there is no way It could really check for abuses (like the refund stuff). It seems too easy to by-pass. Only GOG knows the truth, and I think that they could share a bit of that with us.

The price for cheap games and sales is a little insecurity. But I am glad for it, because I have a lot more space in my apartment without all the boxes.

If GOG goes bankrupt there will surely be anyone picking up the torch (and assets) of DRM-freedom.

On topic: to the author of the post, it could be possible to change the mail address and all other infos of the connected Steam account, so it does not contain sensible data any more. And then just forget about it.

Otherwise, if you are fine with rebuying all the games anyway, why does it concern you? It the games stay after closing the steam account, fine. If they are gone, rebuy them.