The creator of Minecraft, known online as Notch, has come out in support of the ideas associated with the Stop Killing Games movement and spoken directly about the EU petition. Notch’s comments come as discussion around the rights gamers should have in accessing online and live-service games they have purchased has become a hotly debated issue. In a series of X posts, Notch outlined his opposition to AAA studios’ practices and expressed a desire to make conditions better for gamers.
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“Just verifying that yes, that is what I was talking about. If buying a game is not a purchase, then pirating them is not theft,” Notch wrote in response to a commenter clarifying that Notch had weighed in on the Stop Killing Games discourse.
Notch’s comment refers to the fact that many digital gaming products offered in today’s environment are licenses to games, rather than ownership of the games themselves. Digital marketplaces like Steam and Epic Games only sell access to titles, meaning that consumers are not truly in control of them, unlike with a physical game copy. Back in October, Steam added a warning label to game purchases to emphasize that users are only purchasing a license and included a link to the Steam Subscriber Agreement.
The introduction of a mandatory online connection to play certain games also further limits the agency that gaming customers have, which some consider an unacceptable state of affairs.
One such group is Stop Killing Games, which aims to establish a right of guaranteed access to digital, online, and live-service games even after they cease to receive official support. Supporters of the movement view big companies as intentionally designing games that become unplayable after publishers stop providing server access and updates, arguing that such practices harm the gaming landscape. The “Stop Killing Games” initiative in the EU, which calls for new guidance and legislation to establish requirements for game developers to curb the practice of ending game access, has recently surpassed 1.2 million signatures. This milestone prompted responses from trade industry organizations and commentators online.
In the series of social media posts, Notch shared similar, supportive sentiments while not outright endorsing the initiative. Notch affirmed that he did not sign the petition because he wanted to avoid helping AAA studios and instead wanted to compete directly against them with “better terms for the end user.”
No, but I’m biased.
I kind of DON’T want to help AAA out and instead compete against them with better terms for the end user.
— notch (@notch) July 7, 2025
One commenter expressed concern that “forcing developers” to give up their servers to the community or pay to keep them up would be detrimental to the gaming industry. In response, Notch asserted that he instead wants studios to stop controlling the servers altogether, suggesting that he prefers the balance of power to shift more towards the community.
If the Stop Killing Games Initiative in the EU succeeds, which seems likely given the signature goal has nearly been reached, some of these changes might be considered or even enforced in Europe. This may result in similar legislation or rule changes in other countries, and companies might even change their behavior on their own in anticipation of new restrictions. Notch’s significant online presence and supportive comments may help push these ideas further and build more enthusiasm for Stop Killing Games and its mission to improve protections for gaming consumers.
