US Rep Announces Congressional Legislation to Protect Video Game Ownership

Rep. Ritchie Torres announced the Power To The Players Act, legislation that would require the Federal Trade Commission to establish regulations ensuring consumers own rather than license the video games they purchase. The bill addresses concerns that video game companies increasingly sell digital-only games as revocable licenses that can be removed from storefronts and have servers shut down at will, citing NBA 2K25 as an example—a $70-100 game being delisted just two years after release. The legislation would require games with online functionality to provide offline modes before servers shut down and allow consumers to resell their games.