Stop Killing Games Campaign Surpasses One Million Signatures, But There Are Issues

Update #2 [Thu 3rd Jul 2025, 8:30pm]:

In a video briefing from Accursed Farms, the content creator behind the Stop Killing Games initiative, several concerns regarding the petition have been highlighted.

It appears there are a number of fraudulent and fabricated entries, which is inflating the count and will lead to thousands of signatures being discarded.

You can discover more details here:

The key takeaway is that while the campaign has accomplished the milestone of one million signatures, there remains a considerable journey ahead. If you haven’t added your name yet, consider doing so properly via this link.

Update #1 [Thu 3rd Jul 2025, 7:30pm]: The Stop Killing Games initiative, striving for a future where publishers can no longer disable full-price games at will, has eclipsed one million signatures, thus gaining the attention of the European Commission.

The petition has now entered an “overdrive” phase, meaning it continues to seek signatures as some existing ones may be deemed invalid. It aims for a total of 1.4 million signatures.

“If we can exceed the signature requirement, there is a significant likelihood that the European Commission will enact new legislation that will safeguard consumer rights to retain video games that have been purchased and greatly enhance preservation efforts,” the website states.

Original Story: Recently, there have been a few occurrences of publishers making full-price games obsolete.

The Crew is perhaps the most notable instance: a title created for online play, which had its servers taken offline in 2023.

This means that if you possess a physical copy on Blu-ray, it is entirely worthless nowadays, as it cannot be played at all.

Stop Killing Games has been urging local authorities to end this practice, and the campaign is gaining momentum as it approaches its 31st July deadline.

As of this moment, an impressive 822,211 individuals have endorsed a petition appealing to the European Union to implement new laws against such practices.

The UK government has already deliberated on this matter in parliament, and reached the following conclusion:

“There are no intentions to revise UK consumer law regarding the disabling of video games. Sellers of games must adhere to prevailing consumer law requirements, and we will continue to oversee this issue.”

However, the push for British lawmakers to reevaluate is ongoing, and the government may be compelled to revisit this matter in the near future as a result.

PewDiePie, the renowned YouTuber, recently expressed his support for the petition, providing renewed enthusiasm in recent days:

“In the comments, I’ve noticed some of you referencing ‘Stop Killing Games’ and I want to express: I fully back this movement. It perfectly aligns with what I discussed in my video – ownership over software and the games we purchase.”

If you wish to support the initiative, you can find out much more about it on the official site here. Remember, signing the petitions and sharing them with friends is completely free, so please consider doing so if you cherish the ownership of your games.