The Stop Destroying Videogames Petition in the EU is making significant strides towards its goal of 1 million signatures, having already reached the required threshold in seven countries. Dive deeper to learn more about this impactful movement!
Gamers Across Seven EU Countries Show Strong Support
39% Of 1 Million Signatures Achieved
The gaming community across the European Union is rallying behind the Stop Destroying Video Games petition, which has successfully met its signature targets in Denmark, Finland, Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands, Poland, and Sweden. Some of these countries have even exceeded their goals, pushing the total signatures to 397,943—representing 39% of the 1 million needed to advance the petition.
Launched in June, the Stop Destroying Video Games initiative addresses the growing issue of video games becoming unplayable once their support ends. The petition aims to introduce legislation that would compel publishers to ensure games remain playable even after online services are discontinued.
According to the petition, "This initiative calls to require publishers that sell or license videogames to consumers in the European Union (or related features and assets sold for videogames they operate) to leave said videogames in a functional (playable) state. Specifically, the initiative seeks to prevent the remote disabling of videogames by the publishers, before providing reasonable means to continue functioning of said videogames without the involvement from the side of the publisher."
The petition highlights the case of Ubisoft's open-world racing game, The Crew, released in 2014 and enjoyed by over 12 million players globally. Despite its popularity, Ubisoft terminated the game's servers in March 2024 due to server infrastructure and licensing issues, rendering all player progress obsolete. This decision sparked outrage among players, leading to a lawsuit by two Californian gamers against Ubisoft for violating consumer protection laws by effectively taking away their right to play the game they had purchased.
While the petition has made significant progress, it still needs more signatures to reach the 1 million mark. EU citizens eligible to vote have until July 31st, 2025, to lend their support on the petition's website. Although non-EU residents cannot sign, they can still contribute by spreading awareness and encouraging others to join the cause.
