CD Projekt Red is giving away The Witcher 3 on GOG

[Cal Jeffrey]

Editor's take: Good Old Games, known these days as GOG, sure does give away a lot of games. Over the last two years, I have collected 55 titles and didn't have to pay a dime. Granted, they aren't spanking new games, but they are quality hits, including Shadow Warrior, Beneath a Steel Sky, Hello Neighbor, and most recently Hitman: Absolution. The Witcher 3 will soon grace that list.

Today, CD Projekt Red announced it is giving away The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt to celebrate its fifth anniversary. Well, hold up. It's not exactly free. The GOG DRM-free version is up for grabs if you already own the game on any other platform, except the Switch. Nintendo has not opened its platform to third-party integration.

From now until June 23, you can claim a copy of The Witcher 3 without tossing him a coin as long as you own it on PC, PlayStation 4, or Xbox One. There are a couple of hoops to jump through, though.

First, you must have the most recent version of GOG Galaxy (Windows: 2.0.16.182 and Mac: 2.0.16.195). You must also have linked whatever account has your copy of The Witcher 3. Since version 2.0, the GOG launcher has had the ability to connect with other game accounts, including Playstation Network, Xbox Live, Steam, Origin, Uplay, and Epic Games Store.

When you see The Witcher 3 offer banner, click it, and you will be prompted to connect the corresponding account as proof of purchase unless it is already linked. Once the other platform is connected, GOG will automatically sync your library to the GOG Galaxy 2.0 app. Search your library for The Witcher 3, and click it. A box will appear asking if you want to claim the GOG version. If you own the GOTY edition, it will automatically upgrade to the equivalent.

Even if you have no intention of playing the game again, the deal is still worth snagging if only for all the goodies that come with it. These freebies include the official Witcher 3 soundtrack (MP3 and FLAC), wallpapers, digital artbook, comics, and more. Additionally, if you already own the GOG version, you still get all the goodies, plus you will receive a gift code to give to someone else so they can get it for free.

The offer is only good for a week, so don't wait around. I almost missed the Hitman: Absolution giveaway we reported on a few days ago, but got in just under the wire.

Permalink to story.

https://www.techspot.com/news/85652-cd-projekt-red-giving-away-witcher-3-gog.html

 

[Mouseface]

I only own it on Switch, dont see a way to connect to nintendo so NOT any other platform it appears as the article states

 

[brucek]

Nice. I had linked accounts long ago, and just launching GOG Galaxy was enough - it immediately prompted me to claim my free copy by clicking OK. I like the way they roll.

 

[Cal Jeffrey]

I only own it on Switch, dont see a way to connect to nintendo so NOT any other platform it appears as the article states

Apologies. EXCEPT the Switch. I'll clarify that.

 

[Plutoisaplanet]

I got it too! I hope Epic does this for Rocket League since they bought Psyonix last year...

 

[Skjorn]

I got it too! I hope Epic does this for Rocket League since they bought Psyonix last year...

Just curious as to what the point in that would be? Just to have it on Epic Launcher?
CDPR is giving a DRM free copy to you if you have a DRM'd version. Epic wouldn't be giving a DRM free version.

 

[Lounds]

So the switch supports Gog and steam cloud saves for Witcher but doesn't support this... What a joke. Just money grabbing surely?

 

[0dium]

Good thing. I personally don't buy games, I'm from the bay guys, but sometimes I buy the good ones to clear my conscience

 

[jpuroila]

Just curious as to what the point in that would be? Just to have it on Epic Launcher?
CDPR is giving a DRM free copy to you if you have a DRM'd version. Epic wouldn't be giving a DRM free version.

Having all your games in one launcher is like half the reason why Steam is as successful as it is.

 

[Rjmachine]

Nice, I like CD Projekt RED. I hope CP2077 is not delayed!

 

[Nobina]

I own the GOTY edition on GOG, that own't make it transfer to Steam, right? Not that I need it on multiple platforms anyway.

 

[neeyik]

I own the GOTY edition on GOG, that own't make it transfer to Steam, right? Not that I need it on multiple platforms anyway.

No, it won't - it's just the following transfers:

Steam > GOG
Origin > GOG
Epic > GOG
Xbox > GOG
PlayStation > GOG

 

[enemys]

So the switch supports Gog and steam cloud saves for Witcher but doesn't support this... What a joke. Just money grabbing surely?

Because Witcher 3 on Switch is integrated the other way. The game itself (not using Nintendo account) connects to GOG or Steam to download/upload saves. This giveaway goes the other way - GOG has to link to another platform. Since Nintendo, unlike other vendors, doesn't offer a way to connect to an account from a third party app, GOG can't integrate with it.

So, for account connections it's like this:
Switch game -> GOG/Steam - possible
GOG -> Switch account - impossible

 

[Rjmachine]

Having all your games in one launcher is like half the reason why Steam is as successful as it is.

This is not true at all anymore. Last time I reinstalled everything, it took weeks before I even installed Steam. Epic Games Store will grow bigger and bigger over the years. It's Steam biggest threat ever.

Steam keeps milking dev's. Which is why many are (still) fleeing.

I don't hate Valve and Steam but I don't like the fact that they are milking dev's dry and have been so for the last xx years. This is the reason for ALL those launchers we have seen, many have failed - EGS won't. Exclusives and cheaper games will pave the way.

GOG/Galaxy is on to something, allows whole game lib in ONE PLACE, sadly launchers are a part of DRM - you can choose to shutdown the clients when game is closed again tho.

All this is also why Steam OS failed miserably. Steam simply lacks too many games today.

 

[Tams80]

So the switch supports Gog and steam cloud saves for Witcher but doesn't support this... What a joke. Just money grabbing surely?

Nah, just being very Japanese. Can't have full interoperability now, can we?

 

[Plutoisaplanet]

Just curious as to what the point in that would be? Just to have it on Epic Launcher?
CDPR is giving a DRM free copy to you if you have a DRM'd version. Epic wouldn't be giving a DRM free version.

Well for me, the point would be so that I could play Rocket League on a PC since I own it on PS4. Then I could play the game outside of just my house. For Epic, it would be to incline people to sign up for an account through them so they gain awareness/engagement with their store.

 

[Skjorn]

Well for me, the point would be so that I could play Rocket League on a PC since I own it on PS4. Then I could play the game outside of just my house. For Epic, it would be to incline people to sign up for an account through them so they gain awareness/engagement with their store.

Ah I see. I think I would've rather seen this giveaway be apart of GOG Connect. Which is what Epic should do imo, make their own similar program. GOG will go through a launcher's entire library and add the games to GOG as long as they are on the list for the GOG Connect program. Sometimes the list will change and vary. I missed my chance with Dying Light.

 

[Lounds]

This is not true at all anymore. Last time I reinstalled everything, it took weeks before I even installed Steam. Epic Games Store will grow bigger and bigger over the years. It's Steam biggest threat ever.

Steam keeps milking dev's. Which is why many are (still) fleeing.

I don't hate Valve and Steam but I don't like the fact that they are milking dev's dry and have been so for the last xx years. This is the reason for ALL those launchers we have seen, many have failed - EGS won't. Exclusives and cheaper games will pave the way.

GOG/Galaxy is on to something, allows whole game lib in ONE PLACE, sadly launchers are a part of DRM - you can choose to shutdown the clients when game is closed again tho.

All this is also why Steam OS failed miserably. Steam simply lacks too many games today.

Nah, Epic Games is just another EA with loads of money and no sense of community for gamers. Steam as a platform is the Xbox live of PC. Epic games will take decades to replicate that even with free games which I'll keep taking lol.

 

[Skjorn]

Steam as a platform is the Xbox live of PC.

Pretty sure there is or was Xbox app on Win10. May have changed the name but it's still the same just don't have to pay $50 a year to use it.

 

[cabalco]

Already have Witcher 3: Goty on GOG.., Yay?

 

[Rjmachine]

Nah, Epic Games is just another EA with loads of money and no sense of community for gamers. Steam as a platform is the Xbox live of PC. Epic games will take decades to replicate that even with free games which I'll keep taking lol.

Suuuure. Epic Games has more than 100 million users now. Several exclusives with millions of players daily and tons of free games all the time.

If you think Valve is not worried, you are clueless.

Steam OS failed miserably because of this fact; Hundreds of games are missing on Steam, because they milked dev's for years and years. It's because of Valve's greediness we are seeing tons of launchers.

Epic Games Store is the one that will succeed. Steams biggest and only threat. Vavle is forced to stop milking dev's or more and more dev's will choose EGS over Steam. Thats reality for you.

 

[Lounds]

Suuuure. Epic Games has more than 100 million users now. Several exclusives with millions of players daily and tons of free games all the time.

If you think Valve is not worried, you are clueless.

Steam OS failed miserably because of this fact; Hundreds of games are missing on Steam, because they milked dev's for years and years. It's because of Valve's greediness we are seeing tons of launchers.

Epic Games Store is the one that will succeed. Steams biggest and only threat. Vavle is forced to stop milking dev's or more and more dev's will choose EGS over Steam. Thats reality for you.

I think you need to understand Valve is a private business. Once Epic Games becomes majority share of the PC market their investors would make them increase their margins due to be a PLC. I don't trust Epic Games because big money is behind it, once you have share holders and big investors it's not about making games and providing a community, it's about money first. Most of the money Valve makes it put back into its services and sales, which it does for free unlike PS+ and XBL. That Fortnite money will eventually dry up.

 

[jpuroila]

This is not true at all anymore. Last time I reinstalled everything, it took weeks before I even installed Steam. Epic Games Store will grow bigger and bigger over the years. It's Steam biggest threat ever.

Steam keeps milking dev's. Which is why many are (still) fleeing.

I don't hate Valve and Steam but I don't like the fact that they are milking dev's dry and have been so for the last xx years. This is the reason for ALL those launchers we have seen, many have failed - EGS won't. Exclusives and cheaper games will pave the way.

GOG/Galaxy is on to something, allows whole game lib in ONE PLACE, sadly launchers are a part of DRM - you can choose to shutdown the clients when game is closed again tho.

All this is also why Steam OS failed miserably. Steam simply lacks too many games today.

It's still largely true for many people, and a significant part of why EGS has difficulties gaining traction.