Highlights
- GOG's cloud save update will limit storage per game to 200 MB, which may lead to loss of saved games post August 31, 2024.
- Players must review and delete excess files to avoid losing game saves on GOG's platform.
- Cloud saves are crucial for modern gaming, but may come with issues like file deletions and policy changes by platforms like GOG.
An upcoming change to the GOG PC game platform could pose a potential threat to some players' save games, beginning on August 31. The change involves an alteration to the way GOG handles cloud-based saved games, particularly on its GOG Galaxy launcher.
Though it originally focused solely on selling retro titles, in recent years, GOG has become a major storefront for PC games of all vintages, alongside competitors like Steam and the Epic Game Store. That said, GOG is still the premier PC storefront for finding older titles updated to run on modern hardware. GOG recently hosted a rerelease of Alpha Protocol, the beloved spy-themed RPG, with enhancements like controller and cloud save support.
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It's that very cloud save support that is the subject of a new announcement from GOG dealing with cloud saves from August 31, 2024, onwards. In the worst cases, it could cause some players' saved games to be lost. GOG is implementing limits on the size of save files that can be stored on its hosted cloud service. The limit reduces the storage allocation per game to 200 MB. According to GOG, the reason behind the move has to do with the increasing demands for cloud storage, as well as the increasing size and number of games available on the platform. Thus, there is a need to optimize storage allocations per game to keep the platform reliable. By comparison, Steam does not have a fixed cloud storage allocation per game, which is convenient for portable hardware like the Steam Deck.
GOG Cloud Save Update Could Delete Player Save Files
Players will need to log into GOG or its GOG Galaxy launcher and review their cloud saves. For games with stored files in excess of the 200 MB limit, players will need to delete any unnecessary files, backing up any saves they want to keep by downloading them into local storage. After August 31, 2024, GOG will begin deleting files from the cloud storage service, starting with non-game related files, then saved games, from the oldest ones first, until the allocation limit is met.
Cloud saves are becoming an increasingly important aspect of modern gaming for both console and PC players. Many people want to play across multiple devices, and cloud saves allow them to retain their progress wherever they go. Companies have adapted to the new demands as well, with customer-friendly policies like Microsoft allowing players to transition old saves to new consoles for free. But cloud saves also come with their own issues, like glitches, policy changes like GOG's, or additional costs, like requiring a PS Plus subscription to enable them on PS4 and PS5.
