The Stop Killing Games initiative has officially surpassed 1 million signatures, marking a defining moment in the fight for digital game preservation.
Sparked in 2024 by YouTuber Ross Scott, this grassroots movement is demanding that game publishers ensure purchased titles remain playable—even after their online support is withdrawn. It’s like what Stellar Blade CEO, Kim Hyung-Tae said about game ownership, “Once you purchase the game, it belongs to you,” as a response to the active modding community for his game. It’s an initiative that was made by a gamer to help gamers voice out their qualms and wishes to improve gaming’s current state of unfair treatment.
We’d like for you to join us today as we discuss what the initiative is, what it means to have 1 million signatures, and what the latest news is on this ongoing story.
What Is “Stop Killing Games”?
Stop Killing Games isn’t merely a petition—it’s a consumer rights campaign and part of a broader European Citizens’ Initiative launched in April 2024. It emerged after Ubisoft shut down servers for The Crew, making the game unplayable despite players owning it.
By calling for legislation that ensures games remain functional after official support ends, the initiative pushes for offline modes, DRM-free versions, or private server options—safeguards against digital obsolescence.
Milestone Reached, But the Fight Isn’t Over
Reaching one million signatures means the movement has hit a critical threshold, requiring the EU Commission to review proposed legislation. However, there are two hurdles ahead:
- Verification of Signatures: EU rules allow only valid entries from citizens. With potentially 20–30% of signatures being invalid or duplicates, organizers are urging supporters to push past 1.2–1.4 million to create a buffer.
- Government & Industry Pushback: Major publishers like EA, Microsoft, and Nintendo have begun voicing opposition. They argue the initiative may place burdens on companies and complex live-service models.
Ross Scott has emphasized that falsifying signatures is a crime—this is a formal EU process, not just an informal petition.
Why This Campaign Matters for Digital Game Ownership
The real importance of this petition and initiative highlights how we, as gamers and consumers, are fighting back against the greed of publishers and companies who exploit absurd rules to their benefit. Here’s a brief breakdown why this initiative is so important:
- Gaming = Ownership
When you buy a physical game, that copy remains yours forever. But with digital games dependent on servers, players risk losing access completely. Stop Killing Games demands players retain control—just like movies or books that don’t disappear once the publisher has made money.
- Precedent for Digital Laws
This isn’t anti-business. It proposes rebooting digital consumer rights—not gaming rights. If adopted, it could reshape digital ownership laws, much like California’s AB 2426 requires stores to label digital purchases clearly.
- Preserving Cultural History
One million tallied signatures is a great display of how gamers value history and would love to play games no matter how old they are. Stop Killing Games aligns with long-term preservation efforts for video games—sometimes lost forever due to licensing, hardware decay, or server shutdowns.
What Happens Next? Will the Fair Push for Game Ownership Happen Now?
As with all good things, matters such as this will take time. But with the recent response from the VideoGanesEurope pertaining to Stop Killing Games, things are currently not looking good for us gamers. However, we may still have yet a chance because the petition will go through a couple of phases:
- Verification Phase: EU officials will vet and remove invalid signatures.
- Commission Review: The EU Commission must examine the petition’s proposals.
- Potential Legislation: If accepted, the petition could drive new laws requiring offline or serverless options post-support.
With a July 31, 2025 deadline for validating signatures, the movement is rallying supporters to not only sign, but share, inform, and advocate.
How You Can Stay Involved in the Fight for the Digital Content Longevity of Video Games
The best thing that we can do right now is to keep the pressure on. We must remain united and steadfast in our support of Stop Killing Games. How can we do this? Well, for startes, you can:
- For EU citizens: If you haven’t signed yet, do it today—and encourage others to sign properly. Just click on sign the petition to get redirected to the petition’s main page.
- For Non-EU gamers: Spread awareness and support through petitions in your regions (e.g., UK Parliament petition).
- For Gamers worldwide: Share videos or streams highlighting the issue and connect with influencers to keep momentum alive.
Keep the Signs Coming for Stop Killing Games!
Hitting 1 million signatures is a monumental win for Stop Killing Games—a community-powered push to fix a broken digital system. It shows gamers demand accountability from publishers and want their purchases to last. This victory reflects not just votes, but a shift in how we view digital ownership. We’re not just players—we’re advocates.
But this is just step one. The petition needs enough valid votes to qualify, a legislative review to unfold, and real change to pass. So sign, share, shout—because our games deserve more than a shutdown screen.
Be sure to read our other news articles to keep up with what’s hot and what’s not in the gaming world. We also got some good news for you because the announcement of Cyberpunk: Edgerunners Season 2 has just been officially released and it’s got everyone hyped!
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