Twitchstreamer and former Blizzard Entertainment developer Jason “Thor” Hall has opposed the Stop Killing Games movement since its start in 2024. He’s shared his reasoning in multiple YouTube videos, livestreamTwitchdiscussions, and follow-up posts on Twitter. Still, many gamers remain confused about why Thor, who’s known for his passion for the video game industry, would be against an initiative that appears to advocate for preserving endangered games.
The Stop Killing Games Initiative is an online petition launched by Ross Scott, aiming to push for consumer protection laws in the EU that would prevent developers from shutting down video games at will. While the concept may seem straightforward, Pirate Software has pushed back against the movement, citing potential harm to developers.Pirate Software’s stance has sparked controversy, with Thor being swatted and receiving thousands of threats. As a result, many are now eager to hear what he has said about the SKG movement that’s drawn such a strong reaction from the gaming community.
Pirate Software seemingly opposes theStop Killing Games petitionfor three main reasons: 1) He believes its demands aren’t feasible for every game, 2) it could discourage developers from creating live-service games, and 3) the petition’s vague wording seems to require “all games” to remain playable, which Thor argues is unrealistic. He’s also shared a link to ablog postthat highlights potential legal contradictions, suggesting the proposed legislation could open the door to government overreach.
The Backlash Against Pirate Software Explained
Although Pirate Software criticized the SKG movement back in 2024, his comments have recently sparked renewed backlash from some gamer communities. Much of the criticism stems from remarks that many have labeled as anti-consumer. In one stream, for example, Thor stated, “I think live-service games getting [shut down] is fine; I have no problem with the end of a game.” Given therecent video game shutdownsand the growing frustration among gamers over issues like DRM, some have taken Thor’s stance as adding insult to injury.
Some prominent content creators like Asmongold and Charles White Jr., or penguinz0, have criticized Pirate Software for misrepresenting the movement. They argue that Thor has misunderstood the petition’s true goals, which aren’t about “killing live-service games” or “forcing all games into adapting to an offline single-player archetype,” as he’s claimed.
In response to Thor’s claims,SKG creator Ross Scott released a YouTube videoclarifying that Thor misunderstood the petition’s purpose. According to Scott, SKG is primarily about requiring developers to create end-of-life plans for games they sell and allowing players to keep thosegames running on community or private serversinstead of shutting them down entirely. The ongoing dispute between Scott and Pirate Software shows no signs of slowing, with both standing firmly by their views. It remains to be seen whether this conflict will impact the petition’s momentum.
