A European initiative to prevent publishers from disabling games after support ends has gathered 1.3 million signatures, pushing for digital rights in gaming.
© A. Krivonosov
The European Commission has officially acknowledged receipt of the civil initiative 'Stop Destroying Videogames,' which has now gathered nearly 1.3 million verified signatures. This campaign has met the required thresholds in 24 EU countries, making it one of the most prominent initiatives in recent years concerning digital rights and the gaming industry.
The core of the initiative aims to mandate that publishers keep games functional even after official support ends. Organizers are calling for companies to be prevented from remotely disabling projects, rendering them completely unusable—particularly when servers are shut down and access to purchased games disappears.
The movement gained momentum following the situation around Ubisoft's game The Crew. The company announced it would remove the project from sale and close its servers, after which reports emerged that licenses began vanishing from the accounts of players who had already paid for the game. This case has become emblematic of the issue where digital purchases do not guarantee continued access.
The European Commission is now required to begin reviewing the initiative. Under EU rules, if a petition collects over one million verified signatures, authorities must conduct an official assessment and provide a response within six months. The final decision from the European Commission must be presented by July 27, 2026, with meetings with organizers and public hearings in the European Parliament scheduled for the coming weeks.
It's important to note that even a successful civil initiative does not automatically become law, and the commission is not obligated to immediately introduce new regulations. However, such strong support from players could, for the first time, significantly shift the EU's stance on the issue of 'disappearing' video games and the rights of digital content buyers.