A consumer movement named ‘Stop Killing Games’ is experiencing a surge in popularity in both the European Union and the UK, as their official European Citizens’ Initiative poll just crossed one million signatures. The movement aims to prevent publishers from being able to make games unplayable once their official support period ends, and thus give greater rights to customers who opt into buying a game.
The one million signatures reached in the European Union officially marks the threshold crossed for necessary support, with the next steps eventually resulting in a public hearing at the European Parliament. Should they be successful with their audience, the initiative will demand publishers make video games remain functional even after their active support ends. A high-profile instance of game deactivation they use to make their case is Ubisoft’s The Crew, which shut down servers in 2024. As the game was online-only, this made it completely unplayable, and the licences for those who purchased the game on Ubisoft Connect were revoked.
A similar petition was put into place in the United Kingdom, which recently crossed the 100,000 necessary signatures for Parliament to consider the topic for a debate. We’ll be sure to follow up with any further statements from either European or British government officials as these petitions progress through their necessary processes. The Stop Killing Games movement is still seeking additional signees in the case of any past signees being deemed invalid and dismissed, so be sure to check out the official website if you’re interested in making your voice heard.
How do you feel about video games being made unplayable when publishers end support for the title? Sound off in the comments down below, and keep your eyes on GameLuster for more breaking gaming news and industry updates.
