A European citizens’ initiative is taking action against publishers who make games unplayable by discontinuing their services. Now the lobby association Video Games Europe has responded.
Do things we buy really belong to us? This is a question that has been increasingly preoccupying the video game scene lately. Subscription models are not limited to music, movies, or even washing machines. In the case of games in particular, the availability of a purchased product remains under the control of the provider: their playability depends on the continued services of the publisher and developer. The best example is Anthem: in 2026, the servers for EA’s failed game will be shut down. The game will then become unplayable.
This is precisely the crux of the “Stop Killing Games” initiative. The consumer movement wants to have the legality of the subsequent discontinuation of online services and the like examined. There is an EU petition to this effect, which has been signed by a good 1.2 million citizens so far.
Gaming lobby explains itself
The huge wave of support recently brought representatives of the gaming industry onto the scene. The lobby association Video Games Europe commented on the movement. The statement said that the passion of the community is appreciated, but “the decision to discontinue online services is complex, never taken lightly, and must be an option for companies when an online offering is no longer economically viable.”
EA, Activision, and other companies are aware that this measure “may be disappointing” for gamers. However, the industry will ensure “that players are adequately informed of the upcoming changes in accordance with local consumer protection laws.”
The Australian and British governments have expressed their support for compliance with local laws. There had already been “Stop Killing Games” petitions in both countries, but the responses from those responsible were similar.
The consensus: as long as manufacturers and publishers comply with applicable law and provide appropriate information in their terms of use, there is nothing to prevent them from discontinuing essential services for a game.
Low security, high costs
According to Video Games Europe, alternative ways of keeping old games alive are hardly feasible. For example, private servers cannot guarantee that “the protective measures we have taken to secure player data, remove illegal content, and combat unsafe community content” will be fully complied with.
In addition, mandatory maintenance of online services would impose creative restrictions on developers. Titles designed from the outset as purely online games could no longer be implemented “as the development of these video games would be prohibitively expensive.”
The lobby group’s statement has been met with mixed reactions on social media. Under an X-post by gaming YouTuber ‘The 41st Precinct’, there are several critical comments that specifically dismiss the financial argument as a pretext. “Sorry, but I have to laugh every time someone says something about the costs of these companies when they raise CEO salaries and fire their staff every quarter to pay for it,” writes the content creator himself.
Other commenters, however, can understand the developers’ perspective. Among them is user ‘Gleb Skibitsky’. “The people who actually make games reject unrealistic demands that would destroy the video game industry in Europe,” he agrees with the lobby statement.
Same here as there: It’s all about money
The financial aspect is likely to become the core issue here. After all, the PC version of Titanfall 2 proves that outsourcing to fan servers works in principle.
Especially since the EU petition explicitly states that the initiative does not require publishers to provide resources after a game has been discontinued. The games should merely remain “in a reasonably functional (playable) state.” Where there’s a will, there’s surely a way.
But without money, nothing can be done, that much is clear. In Germany, the games market shrank by 6 percent in 2024 compared to the previous year. The hope for the German government’s recently increased games budget is correspondingly high. This is accompanied by necessary measures at the state level.
Additional costs for offline campaigns or security concepts for external servers that were not originally planned would likely eat up the eagerly awaited aid and would therefore be ill-timed from an industry perspective.
On the other hand, there are fans whose perspective is just as understandable. Why spend part of their hard-earned money, which is steadily dwindling due to rising living costs, on a game that could become unplayable at any time?
EU Parliament must respond
While it is unlikely that either side will change its mind, this would not alter the course of the petition. It will remain active until the end of July, has long since exceeded its target of one million signatures, and must be reviewed by Parliament anyway, according to the European Commission. No minimum number of signatures is required for this. There will therefore definitely be an official response.
