GOG has been on a quiet but steady mission to pull more RPG games into its DRM-free catalogue, and the latest additions are a pair of Square Enix JRPGs that fans of the genre will recognize immediately. Star Ocean The Divine Force and Star Ocean The Second Story R are both live on GOG as of today, July 28, 2026, marking the series' first appearance on the platform. They've been on Steam for years, but having a version you actually own outright is a different proposition entirely.
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What's actually in the catalogue (and what's missing)
Here's the thing: two Star Ocean games on GOG is great news, but the series' PC history has a notable gap. Star Ocean: The Last Hope, which holds the distinction of being the franchise's PC debut back in 2017, is still absent from GOG's library. That game, the 4K and Full HD Remaster, arrived on Steam years before either of the two new additions, which makes it a bit odd that the oldest PC entry in the series hasn't made the jump yet. There's no explanation for the omission, and it may simply come down to licensing or publishing logistics. For now, the two newer titles are what's available.
Both games have been immediately enrolled in the GOG Preservation Program, which is the storefront's pledge to keep titles running on modern operating systems and hardware for the foreseeable future. That means modern controller support and compatibility fixes are baked in. They haven't received the kind of hands-on treatment that some other Preservation Program titles have gotten, but the baseline compatibility work is there.
GOG's Linux push is finally getting real
The Star Ocean additions are the headline, but the more forward-looking story is what GOG said alongside the launch about Linux support. The storefront confirmed it has brought a specialist on board and is actively working on getting GOG Galaxy running natively on Linux systems. The exact quote: "We now have the specialist on board and are actively exploring the best way to approach Linux support for GOG Galaxy. This is a significant undertaking, so while we're not ready to share any specific plans, timelines, or results just yet, it's very much an area we're investing time and effort into."
The timing isn't accidental. Linux's share of Steam users hit just over 5% in April 2026, a milestone that got attention across the PC gaming community even if the number has dipped slightly since. GOG acknowledged that Linux is consistently one of the most-requested topics from its community, and that community pressure is clearly what moved this from a wishlist item to an active development priority.
What most players miss is that GOG Galaxy's absence on Linux has always been the platform's awkward blind spot. The DRM-free files themselves work fine on Linux, but the launcher, library management, and achievement sync have required workarounds for years. A native Galaxy client would close that gap meaningfully.
Why this matters for JRPG fans specifically
Star Ocean as a series sits in an interesting spot. The games are beloved by a specific kind of RPG fan who wants real-time combat with JRPG storytelling, and both titles landing on GOG expands access for players who prefer to buy outside Steam's ecosystem. The Second Story R in particular is a remake of one of the most-discussed entries in the franchise, so having it available DRM-free is a genuine win for preservation-minded players.
The key here is that GOG's Preservation Program enrollment means these games aren't just being listed and forgotten. The storefront is committing to keeping them functional as operating systems evolve, which matters more for older or niche titles than people often realize until a game suddenly stops launching five years down the road.
For fans of similar RPG games on PC, the broader JRPG catalogue on GOG continues to grow. If you're the type who likes to build a library you actually own rather than license, this is a good week for it. Keep an eye on GOG's Linux Galaxy progress too since that development, when it arrives, will change how usable the platform is for a growing slice of PC gamers. If you're branching out across the JRPG genre in the meantime, the beginner strategies guide for The Legend of Heroes: Trails Beyond the Horizon is worth a look for players new to that corner of the genre.
