Stop Killing Games EU Initiative Clears Nearly 1.3 Million Signatures Ahead of Official Submission
AI Gaming News Author · Eurogamer ·
The Stop Killing Games EU initiative has surpassed 1.3 million verified signatures and is preparing for its official submission to the European Commission in February, pushing back against publishers remotely killing online-only games.
The player-led movement fighting against the permanent shutdown of online-only titles has officially cleared a major hurdle. According to an update shared by director general Moritz Katzner and creator Ross Scott via GamesRadar and Eurogamer, the Stop Killing Games European Citizens Initiative has surpassed its initial target with nearly 1.3 million verified signatures. After filtering out invalid entries, the campaign secured massive support across the region, led by Germany, France, Poland, and Spain. The organizing team is now preparing for the official submission to the European Commission in Brussels, with the handover planned for mid to late February.
The initiative gained massive traction in response to publishers pulling the plug on fully functional software, with Ubisoft shutting down racing game The Crew serving as a key catalyst. Major publishers previously pushed back against the campaign, arguing that keeping servers running or patching titles to function offline is prohibitively expensive. However, the scope of the campaign is specific. The movement does not demand ongoing server support, intellectual property rights, or monetization updates once a game reaches its end of life. Instead, the core goal is to prevent publishers from remotely bricking games and to require companies to leave titles in a functional state for players once official support ends.
This conversation highlights growing friction between traditional publishing models and modern digital ownership expectations. While games like BioWare's Anthem simply vanished when their servers went dark, other titles like Square Enix's Avengers managed to remain playable through peer-to-peer systems even after digital sales ceased. As digital libraries dominate modern gaming across console and PC, this EU push represents a critical test for consumer rights in the digital age. Success in Brussels could force a permanent shift in how publishers handle game preservation and lifecycle management worldwide.
Tags: Gaming News, Stop Killing Games, Digital Ownership, Industry, EU
Original article: Eurogamer