The 'Stop Destroying Videogames' petition gets a harsh response from the European Commission. The commission declined proposed legislation that would require publishers to keep video games playable after commercial support ends.

The decision comes at a point when the campaign has already secured 1,294,188 verified signatures through a European Citizens’ Initiative. It comfortably surpassed the one-million threshold required for an official review.

The Stop Killing Games movement was launched in 2024 by YouTuber Ross Scott following Ubisoft’s shutdown of The Crew. The main motive of the campaign is to stop publisher from delisting the games even after the game's server is taken offline.

The movement gained traction as thousands of fans grew dissatisfied when the open-world racing became completely inaccessible after its servers went offline.

As per the initiative, publishers should not be allowed to render purchased games permanently unplayable once support ends. It argues that there should be some kind of way to play the game, like a single-player mode.

In its response, the European Commission acknowledged concerns surrounding modern games that rely on publisher-operated servers. However, it could not propose a legal obligation forcing companies to maintain playability after a game is no longer commercially supported.

According to the Commission, such a requirement could conflict with existing intellectual property protections. It noted that copyright holders enjoy exclusive rights over their creations under EU law. They may also protect technological and visual aspects of video games.

The Commission noted that, as per existing consumer protection measures, game publishers already disclose service duration and termination conditions before purchase.

However, it agreed that consumers may be entitled to remedies or proportional refunds if digital content fails to meet reasonable expectations.

Additionally, the Commission stated that it would engage with publishers, consumer groups, and industry representatives before the end of 2026.

These discussions are expected to focus on establishing an industry code of conduct for handling video games at the end of their lifecycle. It also plans to continue promoting awareness of existing consumer rights related to digital products and services.

Stop Killing games shifts focus to European Parliament after EU decision

Despite the setback, Stop Killing Games isn't really stopping at all. Ross Scott, one of the campaign's organizers, noted that the European Commission’s decision would not be the final determining factor in the movement’s goals.

According to Scott, dozens of Members of the European Parliament have already backed calls for legislative action. The campaign is now focused on pursuing protections through amendments to the Digital Fairness Act.

The organization believes that route could still lead to legal safeguards for consumers. Hence, it doesn't need the Commission to propose new legislation.

The movement also continues to gain traction outside Europe. In California, the Protect Our Games Act recently passed a State Assembly floor vote and is now advancing through the legislative process.

This proposed law would require publishers to provide notice before shutting down server-dependent games. They would also need to offer a way for purchased titles to remain playable afterward.

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Written by

Nilendu Brahma

Edited by

Arundhoti Palit