Europe

EU Citizens' 'Stop Killing Games' Initiative Hits Over 900,000 Signatures

Published JUL 3 2025

Story

Above: Ubisoft headquarters in Montpellier, southern France, on Oct. 15, 2024. Image credit: Pascal Guyot/AFP/Getty Images

The Facts

A European Citizens' Initiative to challenge the legality of publishers making video games sold to customers unplayable, entitled "Stop Killing Games," has collected more than 910,000 signatures as of Thursday morning and is on track to hit the one million threshold before the July 31 deadline.
Stop Killing Games Tracker
Stop Killing Games
The initiative calls for publishers selling or licensing video games — or related features and assets — in the EU to be required to leave them in a functional state, preventing remote disabling of video games without providing reasonable means for continued operation.
European Citizens' Initiative
If the "Stop Killing Games" initiative passes one million signatures, the next steps would be to send signatures for verification to the responsible authorities in each member state and submit the initiative to the European Commission, which may eventually propose new legislation on the matter.
Stop Killing Games
European Citizens' Initiative
Meanwhile, a separate petition to the U.K. Government calling for an update in consumer law to prohibit publishers from disabling sold video games has surpassed the 100,000 threshold required for the U.K. Parliament to consider the proposal for debate.
Stop Killing Games
UK Government and Parliament
This comes as YouTuber Ross Scott decided to file legal complaints (encouraging others to do the same) in a push to force companies to end this trend after Ubisoft announced the closure of online servers for "The Crew" and the removal of the video game from players' accounts in 2023.
IGN
Ubisoft has faced legal action worldwide, including a class-action lawsuit in California. Complaints in France — where the company is headquartered — have reached the highest levels of the Directorate General for Competition, Consumer Affairs and Fraud Prevention.
IGN
Insider-Gaming

Sources Split

LEFT

CENTER

RIGHT

ESTAB
CRIT

CENTER

PRO
ESTAB

The Spin

Narrative A

This initiative represents essential consumer protection against corporate abuse, as publishers are literally stealing games from customers after taking their money. The practice violates basic ownership rights and constitutes planned obsolescence that harms both consumers and preservation efforts.

PC Gamer

Narrative B

The initiative's broad language could severely restrict game development and harm the gaming industry. It's simply unfeasible at a technical level that all games remain in a functional playable state, and demanding that could prevent developers from creating innovative online experiences in the future.