The Stop Killing Games campaign, which advocates for the rights of gamers to retain access to full-price titles, has now exceeded one million signatures, garnering attention from the European Commission. This milestone, however, comes with complications as recent updates highlighted the presence of errant and spoofed entries among the signatures, which may result in the removal of thousands of them.
In a recent video update from Accursed Farms, the content creator behind the campaign, it was noted that while the campaign has made significant strides, the journey is far from over. With the current count above one million, the goal is now to reach 1.4 million signatures to solidify its impact.
“If we can pass the signature threshold, there is a very strong chance that the European Commission will pass new law that will both protect consumer rights to retain video games that customers have purchased and advance preservation efforts massively,” states the campaign’s website.
The need for such action has been underscored by recent incidents involving publishers who have rendered full-price games unplayable, the most notable being The Crew, which had its servers shut down in 2023. This situation leaves owners with physical copies little more than collector’s items that cannot be played.
As the campaign continues to gather momentum ahead of its deadline on July 31, 822,211 signatures have already been submitted, urging the European Union to enact new legislation to prevent such practices.
In the UK, discussions in Parliament revealed that there are no current plans to amend consumer laws regarding the disabling of video games. However, there is ongoing pressure for lawmakers to reconsider this topic. PewDiePie, the renowned YouTuber, has also expressed his support for the campaign, boosting its visibility and enthusiasm among fans.
“In the comments, I’ve seen some of you mention ‘Stop Killing Games’ and I want to say: I 100% support this movement,” he stated. “It ties in perfectly with what I talked about in my video – ownership over software and the games we buy.”
For those looking to support this cause, further information can be found on the campaign’s official website, where signing the petition is free and sharing it with friends is encouraged to promote the importance of digital ownership in gaming.
