It’s a common story: a player purchases a game like Anthem, in this case lured in by the promise of simulated Iron Man-like exosuit flying. They may enjoy the game, in single- or multiplayer modes, for any length of time, from a few months to a few years. They may spend additional money on in-game currency or microtransactions, buying cosmetics, battle passes, et cetera. Then, without warning, it’s suddenly announced that the game they’ve purchased is shutting down its servers permanently. Because the game requires an internet connection to play, it’ll be functionally useless from that point on, and all their money wasted.
As more and more games incorporate online functionality, and live-service games in general have always been expensive, volatile, and prone to shutdown, this problem has become more widespread. However, a new petition aims to change that. Its goals are ambitious, and it’s become a bit of an ideological battleground when it comes to game preservation. But it also has a great deal of support behind it, and could change the face of live-service gaming as we know it today.
What Is “Stop Killing Games” And Why Does It Matter?
The Stop Killing Games Petition, Explained
“Stop Killing Games” is an online petition (or really, a series of petitions) aimed at ending the practice of server shutdowns making paid games totally unplayable. It describes itself thusly: “This initiative calls to require publishers that sell or license videogames to leave said videogames in a functional (playable) state.” The first petition, based in the EU, currently has over 1.1 million signatures; a similar UK petition has garnered more than 154,000.
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Although it doesn’t directly propose a solution to the problem, the implication is clear: the signers of this petition are demanding that always-online games remain playable, even after their servers go down. There are a couple of ways this might manifest itself – developers might make live-service games playable offline from the very beginning, or add that functionality in the final update before server shutdown.
Really, though, the goal of this particular petition is to get government eyes on the issue, so that the proposed regulations may be enforced on the video game industry. The latest petition was drafted and distributed through the European Citizens’ Initiative, and, as of yesterday, has surpassed a million signatures.
Really, though, the goal of this particular petition is to get government eyes on the issue.
Although this most recent iteration of “Stop Killing Games” appears to have been the most successful, it’s certainly not the first. The campaign seems to have begun in 2023, after Ubisoft announced it was pulling The Crew from online storefronts, with the shutdown of its servers to follow in 2024. Members of the movement in Brazil attempted a lawsuit, but were ultimately unsuccessful after they failed to provide sales figures for The Crew.
Since then, cases have been brought to all manner of consumer rights and trade regulation agencies all over the world: first, the Federal Trade Commission in the US, then the Canadian Parliament, the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission, the Verbraucherzentrale in Germany, and the General Directorate of Competition, Consumption & Repression of Frauds in France.
Prior to the most recent European Citizens’ Initiative, “Stop Killing Games” petitioned the UK Parliament along the same lines. This petition failed to garner sufficient support before the dissolution of Parliament in 2024 – however, it was revived this year, and since the “Stop Killing Games” movement was catapulted back into public attention, it has now surpassed its goal of 100,000 signatures.
The Content Creators Backing “Stop Killing Games”
Ross Scott & The “Stop Killing Games” Feud
The “Stop Killing Games” movement has been spearheaded by Ross Scott, also known as Accursed Farms, a gaming YouTuber previously known for his Half-Life machinimas and the Ross’s Game Dungeon series. In recent days, though, “Stop Killing Games” appears to have become his full-time job, as his social media feeds and YouTube channel are completely dominated by updates on the movement.
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However, “Stop Killing Games” has also garnered support from a wide variety of popular internet personalities. Philip DeFranco, jacksepticeye MoistCr1TiKaL, PewDiePie, and Asmongold are among those who have professed support for the movement and the most recent petition.
That said, not everyone has thrown their weight behind the movement. Game developer and streamer Pirate Software, the creator of Heartbound, has emerged as one of the most vocal critics of “Stop Killing Games.” He’s claimed that its proponents misunderstand the realities of game development, and that its goals are too vague and unrealistic. He’s also expressed concern that the resulting regulations could actually kill games more quickly by making online-only games impossible, and forcing developers to keep game servers active even when it’s not profitable to do so.
Although the public feud between these two content creators is not solely responsible for the petition’s success, it’s undeniably brought it back into the public consciousness.
Scott has responded by accusing Pirate Software of spreading misinformation about the movement. He’s since updated the Stop Killing Games website’s FAQ to address Pirate Software’s criticisms, clarifying that the movement does not aim to ban online-only games, or to force publishers to keep game servers active for any length of time.
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Although the public feud between these two creators is not solely responsible for the petition’s success, it’s undeniably brought it back into the public consciousness. Signatures on both the EU and UK petitions surged last week after several major content creators voiced their support for “Stop Killing Games.”
Unfortunately, the feud has also sparked a wave of harassment towards Pirate Software, who stepped down from his position at Offbrand Games following the controversy. In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Pirate Software attributed the decision to a series of online attacks and review bombing of Offbrand’s other titles.
Can “Stop Killing Games” Make A Difference?
What The Petition’s Success Means
ECI and UK Parliament petitions work a little differently from websites like Change.org – once these petitions reach a certain number of verified signatures, the governing body is required to discuss it. The UK petition has already received a response from Parliament this February, which reads, “There are no plans to amend UK consumer law on disabling video games. Those selling games must comply with existing requirements in consumer law and we will continue to monitor this issue.“
If you’re not based in the UK or EU, your signature on the relevant petition will not count towards the total.
That response is decidedly open-ended, though, so there’s still the potential for change, especially considering the recent resurgence in signatures. And, if enough of the signatures on the EU petition are verified, then Ross Scott may have the opportunity to speak with the European Parliament regarding the issue, at which point its members will decide whether legislation is necessary.
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But even if legislation isn’t enacted, the demand for change can sometimes be enough to enact it. Although none of the previous efforts by “Stop Killing Games” have provoked a government response, Ubisoft certainly seems to have noticed. The Crew 2 got an offline mode update earlier this year after its servers shut down in 2024.
In an age where game ownership is uncertain, physical media is on the decline, and game preservation is rare, it’s easy to see how this movement emerged. It can be endlessly frustrating to be told you don’t own a thing you’ve paid for, even though the laws around licensing versus purchasing are arcane and complicated.
“Stop Killing Games” taps into that frustration, and aims to put an end to it. It may have a long way to go, but it certainly has a vocal and loyal group of supporters behind it, and surpassing its petition goals is a promising first step.
Source: Stop Killing Games, Accursed Farms/X, Pirate Software/X, UK Government and Parliament
