The Stop Killing Games movement has collected 1.45 million signatures to maintain access to games after their support ends. A preliminary check showed that about 97% of the signatures are genuine, Engadget writes.
According to the European Commission's rules, the verification process should take up to three months. If at least 1 million valid signatures from EU member states are confirmed, the initiative will be eligible for official hearings in the European Commission and the European Parliament.
The initiative is aimed at combating the practice of publishers removing their games and restricting access even to users who have purchased them. The impetus came from the case of Ubisoft, which in 2024 not only removed The Crew from its services, but also completely closed access to the game for players who had already purchased it. Such decisions caused a wave of indignation among gamers and became a symbol of the problem of "game killing".
The organizers note that while there is no guarantee that the EU will pass legislative changes, they are preparing to "do everything to ensure that the initiative is not ignored." They plan to actively cooperate with MEPs and commissioners, while countering disinformation and possible pressure from gaming companies.
The EU will have six months from the date of submission to decide on further action. In the meantime, organizers promise to share more frequent updates on the Discord community and social media to keep the movement in the spotlight.