Highlights

  • Alpha Protocol has been re-released on GOG.
  • Sega halted the sales of all versions of Obsidian's spy RPG in the 2018–2019 period over expired music and publishing rights.
  • The GOG edition of Alpha Protocol comes with full support for modern controllers, achievements, and cloud saves, among other novelties.

Alpha Protocol has been re-released on GOG, with its latest version boasting a handful of new features, such as support for achievements and cloud saves. One of the most acclaimed espionage games ever made is thus finally once again available for purchase after almost half a decade in limbo.

Obsidian Entertainment's spy RPG was originally released for the PS3, Xbox 360, and PC in 2010. Despite receiving polarizing reviews on account of its unrefined gunplay and bugs, it eventually garnered cult status, largely owing to its unique premise combining a choice-driven narrative with RPG elements and a setting inspired by some of the most famous spy franchises in existence. Alpha Protocol was eventually delisted from the Xbox Games Store and Steam in April 2018 and June 2019, respectively. Sega attributed the removal to its expiring publishing rights, as well as some outdated music licenses.

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Almost half a decade later, the spy RPG is now once again available for purchase as of March 20, courtesy of CD Projekt's GOG. While this re-release isn't a full-fledged remaster of Alpha Protocol that some fans have been hoping for, it still boasts multiple new features aiming to bring the game more in line with modern sensibilities. Chief among those novelties is the support for achievements and cloud saves, with GOG revealing that it also expanded the RPG's localization. Alpha Protocol will cost $19.99, but fans can take advantage of the 10% launch discount from March 20 through April 3.

Although the now-delisted Steam version of Alpha Protocol was already playable with an Xbox controller, this GOG re-release includes full support for all modern gamepads from the big three console manufacturers, including the DualSense, DualShock 4, Switch Pro Controller, and the last two generations of Xbox gamepads. The music rights to the game's soundtrack, whose expiry was cited as the reason for its Steam delisting, have also been relicensed. The Alpha Protocol re-release is hence content-complete in every sense of that term.

Alpha Protocol GOG Edition Features

  • Achievements support
  • Cloud save support
  • Compatibility with modern operating systems
  • DRM-free
  • Full controller support
  • Licensed soundtrack
  • Localization support

This chance to revisit Alpha Protocol arrives just two months shy of its 15th anniversary. While the RPG originally hit the market during the Windows 7 era, GOG says it has ensured that the newly debuted version of the game is compatible with modern operating systems. Likewise, the re-release is entirely DRM-free, as is the case with all titles on CD Projekt's digital storefront.

Although some fans might interpret this development as Sega testing public interest in an Alpha Protocol sequel, there is no concrete indication of that being the case. It is much more plausible that the re-release is simply yet another episode in GOG's never-ending efforts to preserve classic games that have long been made unavailable to PC gamers.