A growing European movement known as Stop Killing Games is demanding that players retain access to the digital games they purchase—even after publishers pull official support. With over 1.2 million signatures gathered so far, the campaign has garnered widespread attention from gamers and, notably, from the industry itself.
YouTuber Ross Scott, better known as Accursed Farms, a vocal supporter of the initiative, sees the industry’s recent pushback as a sign of the campaign’s rising influence. ‘Do you think lobbyists would be speaking out against us if we had no chance of changing things?’ he asked in a new video encouraging continued support and urging fans to contact Members of the European Parliament.
The pushback came in the form of a statement by Video Games Europe, a major industry lobby group, which claimed the campaign’s demands—primarily ensuring that live-service games remain accessible indefinitely—pose financial, safety, and design challenges. They argue offline support is too costly and that allowing fan-run servers could compromise player safety.
Scott and others were quick to respond. He points out that Stop Killing Games is focused on future game development, suggesting that studios design titles with offline functionality or provide server code for fan-hosted alternatives. He adds that companies could absolve legal responsibility through user agreements, enabling games to live on in community hands.
Fueling the movement’s fire, EA recently announced the shutdown of Anthem, a live-service game that will become completely unplayable—without refunds or offline options. Fans argue this highlights the very problem the movement aims to solve: the increasing instability of game ownership in the digital age.
Even Nintendo, once a champion of physical media, is shifting toward quasi-digital solutions like Game-Key Cards for its recently released Switch 2 console. This industry-wide trend toward online-only, time-limited access is at odds with long-term consumer rights and game preservation efforts, not to mention subscription services, where players pay a monthly fee to have access to a library of games; however, the access changes every month.
The Stop Killing Games initiative is seeking 1.4 million EU signatures to press for new consumer protection laws that would prevent companies from removing access to games people have legally purchased. Supporters say this will not only preserve gaming history but also uphold the rights of paying customers.
For now, the movement continues to grow, proving that in the battle for digital rights, players are not ready to give up the game.
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