The Stop Killing Games campaign has suffered a major setback in Europe, as the European Commission has refused to propose legislation requiring publishers to keep discontinued video games playable.
The movement, formally presented in the EU as the European citizens’ initiative “Stop Destroying Videogames”, was built around the idea that publishers should not be able to make games unplayable after ending official support, especially when those games were sold to consumers as a complete product.
In January, the initiative was confirmed to have received 1,294,188 verified statements of support, surpassing the one million threshold required by the European Commission to formally vet it. It was subsequently presented to the Commission in February, followed by a European Parliament hearing in April and a full debate in May.
EU rejects key demand to stop killing games
In its official response on 16 June, the Commission said it “cannot propose a legal obligation” for publishers to keep games playable after commercial sales stop.
Instead, the Commission said it would begin discussions with video game industry and consumer representatives by the end of 2026 to draft an industry code of conduct for the management of games at the end of their life cycle.
The Commission’s full communication states that a legal obligation to keep the game playable, as requested by the initiative, “would not be proportionate.” It cited concerns about intellectual property rights, confidential business information, publisher costs, and potential cybersecurity or safety risks if the games were not supported.
Codes of conduct could include more transparent storefront labeling regarding the potential closure of games, as well as greater partnerships between publishers and cultural heritage institutions to preserve games. However, publishers will not be legally required to provide offline patches, private server tools, or other ways for players to continue accessing the game after official support ends.
The Commission also argued that existing EU consumer law already provides some safeguards, including requirements for transparency, contract length, terms of termination and possible refunds if the shutdown agreement conflicts with the consumer’s reasonable expectations.
Reuters reports that the decision comes as French consumer group UFC-Q Choisir continues legal action against Ubisoft over The Crew, which became permanently unplayable after its servers were shut down. Ubisoft has argued that players purchased limited access rather than full ownership, while consumer groups allege that players were misled over how long the game would be available.
While the Stop Killing Games campaign succeeded in imposing the issue on the EU institutions, the Commission’s response fell short of its central demand. For supporters, the result means publishers are not currently facing a new EU-wide legal requirement to keep purchased games playable after support ends.
Stop Killing Games says fight “will not end”
Despite the setback, Stop Killing Games has said it is not ending its efforts for the legislation.
In a response posted after the commission’s decision, the official Stop Killing Games account said the result was “not unexpected” and claimed the campaign had prepared for the outcome in advance. The group said it is now pushing members of the European Parliament to amend the Stop Killing Games Digital Fairness Act.
“We can move forward without the Commission and their non-judgment,” the group said, referencing earlier comments by Cursed Farms creator Ross Scott.
This response echoes comments made by the account on June 13, when it said the Commission’s decision “will not be the end” and pointed to progress in both California and the European Parliament.
“We are in a position to pass legislation on this even without the Commission’s blessing,” Stop Killing Games said at the time. “EU law must prevail either way.”
The campaign also argued that it was “in a better position than ever” to win, adding that supporters should thank the Commission for ensuring that the movement “does not rest on our laurels.”
This means that the EU’s response is a major blow to the campaign’s core European citizens’ initiative, but does not necessarily mean the end of the broader efforts to stop the killing games. The focus now appears to have shifted from direct action by the Commission to influencing upcoming EU digital consumer legislation.
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