April 20, 2026 The Stop Killing Games campaign presented its case to the European Parliament this week, marking its first formal step into the legislative process to address the shutdown of online-dependent video games. Members of Parliament from multiple political groups signalled broad support during the hearing.
Campaign founder Ross Scott and organiser Moritz Katzner appeared before the committee to argue for rules that would prevent games from becoming unplayable once publishers end support. The proposal does not call for indefinite online maintenance or restoring already-shut-down titles, but instead focuses on requiring developers to plan for end-of-life scenarios in future releases.
Consultant Daniel Ondruška told lawmakers the issue is largely a matter of design and business decisions rather than technical limits. “Games that were developed 20 years ago still function,” he said. “Games that were developed three years ago… don’t. It’s a design decision. It’s a business decision.”
Scott argued that incorporating end-of-life planning into development budgets would have minimal cost impact. He said some industry estimates are overstated because they include features unnecessary for offline versions of games, suggesting that maintaining basic playability after shutdown is feasible.
The response from lawmakers was notably positive. MEP Anna Cavazzini, chair of the Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection, thanked the speakers “for the great work you have done” and noted widespread backing across political groups. MEP Ilhan Kyuchyuk echoed that sentiment, pointing to “broad support” within the committee.
Following the hearing, Katzner described the outcome as a strong first step, saying “every single MEP” present responded positively. He emphasised that the process is still in its early stages, with the committee continuing to review the proposal, but characterised the hearing itself as “mission achieved.”
The campaign’s appearance builds on momentum earlier this year, including the launch of non-governmental organisations in the EU and US to support long-term lobbying efforts, and backing a lawsuit in France over the shutdown of Ubisoft’s The Crew.
