Campaign Seeks to Stop Game Publishers From Shutting Down Servers

A consumer-rights campaign is pressuring game publishers and legislators to stop shutting down online game servers without preserving player access [1, 2].

This effort addresses a growing conflict over digital ownership. When publishers deactivate servers for online-only games, the software often becomes completely unplayable, effectively removing a product that consumers paid for [1, 2].

Founded in 2024 by American YouTuber Ross Scott, the Stop Killing Games campaign seeks to establish legal requirements for how games are retired [1, 2]. The group said that publishers should provide a way for games to remain functional, such as allowing private servers or offline modes, after official support ends [1, 3].

The campaign has focused its efforts on two primary legal jurisdictions. In January 2026, the group submitted a petition to the European Commission ^[1]. That petition gathered nearly 1.3 million signatures ^[1]. The goal is to trigger a public hearing and prompt the EU to update consumer protection laws regarding digital goods ^[1].

In the U.S., the campaign is supporting the "Protect Our Games Act" in the California state legislature ^[3]. This legislative push aims to create a legal framework that prevents publishers from "bricking" games by simply turning off the servers ^[3].

Industry standards currently allow publishers to terminate service at their discretion, often citing the cost of maintenance or low player counts ^[2]. However, the Stop Killing Games movement said that the responsibility for preserving a game's playability should remain with the entity that profited from its sale [1, 2].