A European Union petition demanding publishers maintain the playability of online games after server shutdowns is gaining significant traction. Already surpassing its signature threshold in seven countries, the campaign is nearing its ambitious goal.

EU Gamers Unite Against Abandonware

Nearly 40% of the Target Reached

The "Stop Destroying Video Games" petition has achieved a major milestone, exceeding the required signature count in Denmark, Finland, Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands, Poland, and Sweden. With 397,943 signatures collected—39% of the 1 million target—the initiative is making significant headway.

This petition, launched in June, addresses the growing concern of games becoming unplayable after publisher support ends. It advocates for legislation requiring publishers to ensure continued functionality of online games, even after official closure, preventing the remote disabling of purchased titles.

As stated in the petition, the aim is to prevent publishers from rendering games unplayable without providing reasonable alternatives for continued access. This directly addresses consumer rights and the frustration caused by the loss of access to purchased content.

A prominent example cited is Ubisoft's The Crew, a 2014 racing game with a reported 12 million players. Ubisoft's shutdown of the game's servers in March 2024 due to infrastructure and licensing issues sparked outrage, leading to legal action from California gamers who argued the shutdown violated consumer protection laws.

While the petition still needs significant support to reach its goal, EU citizens of voting age have until July 31st, 2025 to add their signatures. Although non-EU residents can't sign, they can still contribute by promoting the petition within their networks.