UK Authorities Stand Firm Against Calls to Halt Stay-Provider Gaming Disruptions

The UK government will no longer postpone specific legislation that could prevent live-service games from being shut down.

Players in the country have previously urged regulators to address the situation, which became more pressing following Ubisoft’s unexpected discontinuation of The Crew in early 2024. The aim, according to the ‘Quit Destroying Video Games‘ initiative (launched after The Crew‘s shutdown), is for developers to maintain online games in a playable state after concluding updates instead of completely decommissioning them.

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) responded to a petition regarding this issue, stating it has “no plans” to modify UK law to address the phenomenon. It reiterated that game developers “must adhere to existing consumer law requirements, and we will continue to monitor this situation.”

“We are aware of concerns regarding the duration of digital content, including video games, and we understand the worries of players regarding certain games that have been discontinued,” the statement from the Department reads. “However, there is no obligation under UK law for software developers to preserve older versions of their products. […] There may be instances where companies make choices based on the considerable operating expenses involved in maintaining older servers for games with diminishing player bases.”

Nonetheless, the DCMS recognized that it will “monitor this issue and take into account the relevant work of the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) regarding consumer rights and consumer harm.”

Keep games alive, but for how long?

The DCMS’s refusal to create specific legislation poses a hurdle for those in the UK who wish to ensure that video games remain operational for longer than just a few years.

Game preservation encompasses various aspects, and developers have made initiatives to keep their online games accessible after updates conclude. For some, this simply means keeping the game available and playable, as demonstrated by BioWare and Anthem.

In other instances, it provides players with a means to play those titles without an internet connection. In response to player backlash, Ubisoft is working on offline modes for The Crew 2 and The Crew Motorfest. Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League and Redfall also received offline modes after their respective developers ceased support or shut down.

Multiplayer-oriented games are being delisted and retired at an increasing pace, and not every developer can fulfill the demand to keep those titles alive. Even if they do, it may still not be sufficient: players of the original The Crew have filed a lawsuit against Ubisoft, claiming the studio had “deceived” them.

That the UK government has addressed this issue indicates it is gaining traction, and its commitment to video game preservation suggests that these delistings are not breaching any legislation.

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