MMO Game Preservation Efforts Require One Million Signatures to Propose EU Law

European Gamers Launch Petition to Save Online Games from Server Shutdowns

A European citizen's initiative, "Stop Killing Games," is striving to protect players' digital investments by pushing for EU legislation to prevent game publishers from shutting down online games and rendering purchases unplayable. The petition, launched in August 2024, needs one million signatures within a year to be considered by the EU. Currently, it has garnered over 183,000 signatures.

The initiative's catalyst was Ubisoft's closure of The Crew, an online-only racing game, in March 2024, leaving millions of players with worthless digital assets. This highlights a growing concern about the "planned obsolescence" of online games, where publishers profit from sales but later remove access, effectively destroying player investments. Similar closures of titles like SYNCED and NEXON's Warhaven further fuel the urgency of this campaign.

Ross Scott, a key organizer, argues that this practice is akin to studios destroying their own films in the silent era to reclaim silver. The petition aims to hold publishers accountable, not by demanding the impossible (like perpetual server maintenance or relinquishing intellectual property), but by ensuring that games remain playable at the time of official shutdown. This applies even to free-to-play games with microtransactions, ensuring that purchased in-game items remain accessible.

The proposed law would mandate that publishers maintain a functional game state upon termination of service, leaving the specific implementation method to the publishers themselves. The initiative explicitly does not demand: relinquishing IP rights, source code release, endless support, server hosting, or liability for player actions. The success of Knockout City's transition to a free-to-play standalone game with private server support serves as a potential model.

While the petition requires European citizens of voting age to sign, supporters worldwide can contribute by spreading awareness. The campaign hopes to create a precedent that influences global industry standards and practices. Visit the "Stop Killing Games" website to sign the petition (one signature per person).