Stop Killing Games: EU decision and the impact on gamers

In brief

• The European Commission has not introduced legal obligations to preserve online games after they are shut down.
• The Stop Killing Games movement continues to push for a legal framework to protect players from paid titles being taken offline.
• Popular games such as Anthem and The Crew become unplayable when their online services are shut down.

GAME-scanner analysis

The European Commission’s recent decision not to change legislation around the preservation of online games is a major disappointment for the Stop Killing Games movement. The campaign, which aims to protect players’ rights, has tried to convince the EU to create a legal framework that would require game companies to keep their titles playable even after online services are discontinued. However, the Commission has stated that current EU copyright law and consumer protection rules do not allow this. That means players may lose even more titles as early access development continues, putting the value of their purchases at risk.

What does this mean for players?

For gamers, this means there is a strong chance they will lose more games they have bought as early access development continues, especially titles that depend on online services. This affects not only the playability of popular games, but also the wider debate around digital ownership rights and publisher responsibilities. Players will have to ask themselves how they can protect their digital purchases and whether they can still trust the long-term durability of what they buy as early access development continues.

Related GAME-scanner articles