In a surprise update, Alpha Protocol is back on Steam. Publisher Sega has made no announcements at the time of writing this article regarding the sudden reappearance of the classic title. However, as some fans discovered, the store page is already back up with a purchase option, and it"s even discounted as part of the ongoing 2024 Steam Summer Sale.
The game was originally removed from Steam altogether in 2019, ridding gamers the one official place to purchase it for a modern platform. The removal was attributed to its music licenses expiring.
Developed by Obsidian Entertainment, known for its RPG hits like Pillars of Eternity, Fallout New Vegas, and The Outer Worlds, this spy RPG released back in 2010 originally. Taking the role of Michael Thorton, a fresh agent joining an American spy agency named Alpha Protocol, the title offers stealth and action gameplay as well as tough decisions to make that affects the storyline.
Interestingly, Alpha Protocol returned to sale earlier this year via the GOG store too. This DRM-free re-release carried enhancements like the licensed soundtrack, achievements, controller support, localizations, support for modern operating systems, and cloud saves. These improvements had been performed thanks to a team up between GOG and Obsidian.
Unfortunately, according to fans who have tried out the freshly-returned Steam version, it looks like this edition is sporting none of the enhancements present on GOG. Sega has seemingly returned the game to sale on Steam just as it was in 2019, possibly after resolving the licensing issues. It"s unclear what is going on behind the scenes.
The Steam version of Alpha Protocol is currently discounted by 20% just like on the GOG store, dropping the price down to $15.99. There is a small possibility that the GOG enhancements may arrive to the Steam version later too.