The gamers taking on the industry to stop it switching off games

A consumer rights campaign called Stop Killing Games, founded by YouTuber Ross Scott in 2024, is challenging publishers' practice of making games unplayable by shutting down their servers, with the movement gaining significant momentum after Ubisoft discontinued the online-only game The Crew in 2024. The campaign submitted a petition with nearly 1.3 million signatures to the European Commission in January, triggering a European Parliament hearing in April, as players argue they lose access to games they purchased without refunds or adequate notice. The gaming industry has defended server shutdowns as necessary when games are no longer viable, arguing that forcing permanent availability could increase development costs.