GOG removes Hitman GOTY game after fan complaints

The DRM-free digital distribution platform GOG has removed Hitman GOTY after fans complained about the game’s always-on DRM features.

In a GOG forum, community manager Gabriela Siemienkowicz released the following statement about the topic:

“Dear Community,

Thank you for your patience and for giving us the time to investigate the release of HITMAN GOTY on GOG. As promised, we’re getting back to you with updates.

We’re still in dialogue with IO Interactive about this release. Today we have removed HITMAN GOTY from GOG’s catalog – we shouldn’t have released it in its current form, as you’ve pointed out.

We’d like to apologize for the confusion and anger generated by this situation. We’ve let you down and we’d like to thank you for bringing this topic to us – while it was honest to the bone, it shows how passionate you are towards GOG.

We appreciate your feedback and will continue our efforts to improve our communication with you.”

Though the main story and bonus missions can be played without a net connection, many other features on Hitman GOTY require an internet connection.

Among the levels and features that require an internet connection are: Escalation missions, Elusive Targets, user-created Contracts. According to EuroGamer.net, “You also had to be online to unlock new equipment, starting locations, get mission scores and level up your location mastery.”

It was necessary for the Hitman GOTY GOG version (Archive – Before Removal [with 1.3/5.0 Rating]) of the game to be online, according to EuroGamer, “to unlock new equipment, starting locations, get mission scores and level up your location mastery.” Because the game received many negative reviews, it had a 1.3/5 overall rating before the removal of the game from GOG.

What remains to be known is if the game developed by IO Interactive will return to GOG with various changes, especially with offline play.

[Source]: EuroGamer: GOG pulls Hitman from its own store, admits it shouldn’t have released it in its current form – [Archive]. GOG: “Thank you for your patience and for giving us the time to investigate the release of HITMAN GOTY on GOG. As promised, we’re getting back to you with updates” – [Archive].