The major consumer movement to prevent the delisting and shutdown of multiplayer titles,Stop Killing Games, has just seen a huge resurgence, hitting 820,000 signatures. The movement was initiated last year by YouTuber Ross Scott, targeting Ubisoft’s delistedThe Crew, and proposing a new law to prevent these kinds of things from continuing to happen.
In recent years, the delisting and shutdown of multiplayer titles has become increasingly common within the gaming industry, leaving players with no real option to play once their game is gone. The main issue is that online games rely heavily on active player bases and ongoing server maintenance, and publishers often choose to sunset games that no longer generate sufficient revenue or engagement. This trend has sparked frustration among players, especially when games become completely unplayable after their servers go offline, which is what happened when theoriginalCall of Duty: Warzonewas shut down. For many, this situation raises concerns about digital ownership as well as game preservation, because an entire game experience can disappear from gaming history with little notice.
To fight against this reality, YouTuber Ross Scott started aEuropean initiative last year called Stop Killing Games. On thepetition’s website, Scott explains the current situation of multiplayer online games, stating that the movement aims to “challenge the legality of publishers destroying video games they have sold to customers.” At the time of writing, the petition has garnered 820,000 signatures and needs to hit 1,000,000 to have a good chance of forcing the European Commission to consider making new laws that protect players’ rights and gaming preservation on a large scale.
‘Stop Killing Games’ Petition Surpasses 820,000 Signatures
What Scott highlights in the petition is not just the fact thatdevelopers can shut down multiplayer gamesat will, but also that these games have been designed to “be completely unplayable as soon as support from the publisher ends.” This practice is described in the petition as a “form of planned obsolescence,” impacting customers, as something they have spent money on can be taken away from them very easily.
Over the past year, the Stop Killing Games movement has formally submitted complaintsabout game shutdownsto consumer protection agencies in France, Germany, and Australia, asking these governments to investigate whether the practice is legal. As of 2025, most of these consumer-driven actions (like complaints and petitions) are done, and the movement is now waiting for governments to make decisions. While the petition is still 40,000 signatures short of its goal, the number is increasing quickly, and it’s very likely to reach its target.
