Stop Killing Games Campaign: NGO Strategy & Digital Rights [2025]

You've probably been there. You buy a video game, install it, play it for years. Then one day you boot it up and get a message: the servers are shutting down. The game you paid for? Gone. Delisted from your library. Unplayable. You own the physical copy, but the publisher owns the right to make it disappear from existence.

That infuriating reality sparked a movement that's about to get serious.

The Stop Killing Games campaign started as a reaction to a single controversial decision by Ubisoft. The publisher delisted The Crew from players' libraries without warning, essentially revoked access to a game millions had purchased. But what seemed like an isolated incident revealed a systemic problem: publishers had quietly been doing this for years, and nobody was keeping track.

A YouTube creator named Ross Scott decided to do something about it. He launched a petition. A million signatures later, he realized a petition wasn't enough. The movement needed teeth. Legal framework. Organizational structure. Staying power.

Now, the Stop Killing Games campaign is evolving from a grassroots petition into something with real institutional force. Scott's team is establishing two separate non-governmental organizations, one operating in the European Union and another in the United States. These aren't feel-good advocacy groups that disappear after six months. They're designed to pursue what Scott calls "long-term counter lobbying", fight publishers in court if necessary, and turn public sentiment into actual law.

This is bigger than video games. It's about digital ownership rights, corporate accountability, and what happens when you buy something in the 21st century. Let's break down what's actually happening, why it matters, and what comes next.

TL; DR

• NGO Strategy: Stop Killing Games is establishing formal organizations in the EU and US for sustained legal action and counter-lobbying
• Core Problem: Publishers can delist games from players' libraries indefinitely, revoking access to purchased content
• Legal Momentum: The campaign has secured meetings with the European Commission and is developing 500+ pages of legal documentation
• Ubisoft Precedent: Ubisoft added offline mode to The Crew 2 after pressure, proving publishers can change course when confronted
• Digital Rights: This movement threatens one of gaming's most profitable practices and could reshape consumer protections across digital media

Estimated data: Most publishers might prefer providing offline versions when delisting games, as it balances legal liability and player access.

The Core Problem: Game Delisting and Digital Ownership

When you buy a physical video game at a store, you own it. You can play it whenever you want. Lend it to a friend. Sell it secondhand. Donate it to Goodwill. The publisher has no say after the sale is complete.

But digital games? That's a different story entirely.

When you purchase a game on Steam, PlayStation Network, or Xbox Live, you're not buying a product. You're buying a license to access that product, and that license can be revoked at any time. Publishers have been quietly exercising this power for years. Games get delisted for licensing issues, server shutdowns, or just because publishers decide they'd rather you buy the sequel. Players who purchased the game lose access. Permanently.

The Crew was the flashpoint. Released in 2014 by Ubisoft, the always-online racing game was delisted in March 2024, five years after its release. Players who'd purchased the game couldn't access it anymore. No refunds. No warning. Just gone. Ubisoft had already moved on to The Crew 2.

This wasn't unique. Games get delisted constantly. Licensing issues with music, movies, or athletes mean publishers pull the game from stores. Server shutdowns mean online-dependent games become unplayable. Licensed properties like Marvel games or sports titles disappear when licensing deals expire. But because there's no centralized tracking system, most players never know it's happening until they try to access their library.

Ross Scott changed that. In his viral YouTube video explaining the problem, he made game delisting impossible to ignore. Millions watched. Millions signed the petition. For the first time, the gaming industry had to confront the question: what does digital ownership actually mean?

The problem runs deeper than just emotional attachment. Games are cultural artifacts. Historical documents. Learning resources. When publishers delete them from existence, we lose part of our digital heritage. A game from 2006 might teach something about game design that's still relevant today. But if the publisher decides to delist it, that knowledge disappears along with it.

The Stop Killing Games campaign reframes this as a consumer rights issue, not just a gaming issue. It's about what digital ownership means in the 21st century.

Ross Scott's Vision: From Petition to Legal Action

Ross Scott isn't a professional activist. He's a YouTube creator known for detailed game reviews and video essays about design. His channel, Accursed Farms, built an audience through thoughtful, lengthy analysis of games and gaming culture. When he decided to make a video about game delisting, he brought that same analytical rigor to the problem.

The video went viral. Within weeks, the petition crossed a million signatures. Game publishers noticed. Media outlets picked up the story. For the first time, game delisting became part of the mainstream conversation about digital rights.

But Scott understood something crucial: a petition alone doesn't change anything. Petitions generate attention. They don't generate law. After hitting a million signatures, Scott could have declared victory and moved on. Instead, he recognized that winning would require something much more difficult: sustained institutional pressure.

That's where NGOs come in.

NGOs, or non-governmental organizations, have legal standing. They can hire lawyers, file lawsuits, publish detailed research, and meet with government officials. They can pursue "counter lobbying" against industry trade groups and corporate interests. They can turn public sentiment into legal frameworks.

Scott announced plans to establish two separate NGOs, one focused on EU regulation and another on US legal action. These wouldn't be activist collectives organized through Discord. They'd be formal organizations with boards, staff, and budgets. Built to last decades if necessary.

The timing is strategic. The European Union has been increasingly willing to regulate tech companies. The EU Digital Services Act already shapes how platforms operate. The EU Green Deal requires manufacturers to support products longer. Setting up an EU NGO puts the Stop Killing Games campaign in direct contact with EU regulators who might actually pass binding legislation.

In the United States, the regulatory environment is different but shifting. Consumer protection agencies are paying attention. State attorneys general have sued major tech companies. A US NGO could pursue legal action, file regulatory complaints, and work with sympathetic lawmakers.

The 500-page legal framework is estimated to focus primarily on industry practices and legal violations, with significant attention to player interviews and licensing analysis. (Estimated data)

The Legal Framework: 500 Pages of Counter-Evidence

Scott's team isn't just setting up organizations and hoping for the best. They're building a detailed legal case. According to Scott, the campaign is developing over 500 pages of legal documentation that outlines industry practices, maps the scale of the problem, and identifies specific laws being violated.

This is sophisticated advocacy work. It requires lawyers, researchers, and game industry experts. It requires interviews with affected players. It requires analysis of licensing agreements, terms of service, and consumer protection laws. It requires mapping out exactly how publishers delist games and what legal justifications they claim.

The goal is clear: turn that 500-page document into a legal foundation for NGO action. Use it to meet with lawmakers. Use it to support court cases. Use it to demonstrate that game delisting isn't an edge case or a rare occurrence, but a systemic practice affecting millions of players.

That document is still in development, but it represents a fundamental shift in how the Stop Killing Games campaign operates. It's no longer about emotion or consumer anger. It's about evidence, legal precedent, and regulatory framework.

The campaign is also pursuing concrete watchdog actions. Scott mentioned setting up a system to monitor and report on game delisting, creating a public record of which publishers delete which games and when. This transparency alone could change publisher behavior. Nobody wants their name associated with aggressive digital deletion.

EU Strategy: Meeting with the European Commission

The European Union is the obvious first target. EU regulations carry real weight. If the Stop Killing Games campaign can get game delisting addressed in EU law, it affects every publisher operating in Europe, which means it effectively affects the global market.

Scott announced that campaign leadership will meet with the European Commission soon. These aren't casual meetings. They're the kind of meetings that happen when an organized movement has enough public support and legal documentation to warrant official attention.

The EU has already shown interest in regulating digital ownership. The Digital Services Act sets rules for platform behavior. The Right to Repair legislation addresses product longevity. The EU Green Deal pushes for sustainability. Game delisting could be framed as a sustainability issue, an ownership issue, or a consumer protection issue. Multiple regulatory hooks exist.

The optimal EU outcome would be legislation requiring one of three things:

1. Publishers maintain digital games for a minimum period (similar to Right to Repair timelines)
2. Publishers provide offline versions when delisting online games
3. Publishers offer full refunds to players if delisting a purchased game

Any of these would fundamentally change the industry. Most publishers would probably prefer option two, since it lets them delist without legal liability while preserving player access.

Which is exactly what happened with The Crew 2.

The Ubisoft Precedent: Proof Publishers Can Change

One of the Stop Killing Games campaign's strongest pieces of evidence is Ubisoft's own behavior change. After the campaign reached critical mass, Ubisoft updated The Crew 2 with an offline mode. Players could still access the game even after online servers shut down.

This single decision proves something vital: publishers can maintain playable versions of delisted games. They have the technical capability. The question was always whether they had the will.

Ubisoft's decision didn't come from the goodness of their hearts. It came from sustained public pressure and the clear message that their business decisions were now being scrutinized. The Stop Killing Games campaign made game delisting a reputation risk.

That's the power of organized advocacy. Individual complaints disappear into corporate void. Organized movements with millions of supporters and legal backing? Those change behavior.

Ubisoft's offline mode for The Crew 2 sets a precedent. If one publisher can do it, all can. If it becomes law, all must. The Crew 2's offline mode isn't a solution to the broader problem, but it proves that the solution is possible.

Ubisoft shows a high influence score due to its response to advocacy, while Nintendo shows a lower score due to continued delisting. Estimated data.

Building Institutional Power: NGOs as Leverage

Why NGOs specifically? Why not just keep running a petition campaign?

NGOs have advantages that grassroots movements lack. First, they have legal standing. An NGO can file lawsuits, submit amicus briefs in court cases, and testify before regulatory bodies. Ross Scott as an individual? Much less leverage.

Second, NGOs have staying power. Movements fade when their founder burns out or moves on to something else. Organizations outlive individuals. If Scott decides to step back, the NGO continues the fight. That institutional continuity is crucial for "long-term counter lobbying."

Third, NGOs can hire professional staff. Lawyers. Researchers. Lobbyists. Communications specialists. A grassroots movement relies on volunteers. An NGO with a budget can execute sophisticated legal strategy.

Fourth, NGOs can fundraise. The Stop Killing Games campaign already has millions of engaged supporters. Converting that into institutional funding for two separate NGOs is straightforward. Players who care about this issue will contribute money to organizations fighting for their rights.

The EU NGO could focus on regulatory strategy, meeting with Commission officials, and supporting legal action in European courts. The US NGO could pursue litigation strategy, state-level advocacy, and consumer protection complaints. Two separate organizations with two separate strategies, both pursuing the same goal from different angles.

This dual-geography approach is smart. The regulatory environment differs between the US and EU. An organization tailored to EU procedure might not work well in the US system, and vice versa. Having separate NGOs allows for targeted strategy.

Digital Ownership Rights: The Philosophical Question

Underlying all of this is a fundamental question about what ownership means in the digital age. Publishers argue that you don't own digital games, you own a license to access them. That license can be revoked. It's in the terms of service.

But consumers argue something different. If you paid money for it, you own it. The delivery method (digital instead of physical) shouldn't change your rights. The terms of service are unilateral and non-negotiable. Accepting them shouldn't mean you lose ownership protections that exist for physical products.

This philosophical debate has real legal consequences. Some jurisdictions have started siding with consumers. European courts have ruled that selling a used digital license is legal, even if the original seller removed their copy. That suggests courts view digital products more like property than temporary licenses.

The Stop Killing Games campaign is betting that courts and regulators will increasingly agree with the consumer perspective. That you own what you buy, whether it's physical or digital. That publishers can't just delete your property because they want to shut down servers or push people toward a sequel.

That's not radical thinking. It's consistent with centuries of property law. The radical position is actually the publisher position: that paying for something doesn't mean you own it, and corporations can unilaterally revoke your access anytime.

Game delisting also raises questions about cultural preservation. Games are art. They're historical documents. They're educational tools. When publishers delete them, we lose cultural artifacts. The Stop Killing Games campaign frames this as a preservation issue, not just a consumer rights issue.

The Business Model Problem: Why Publishers Delist Games

Understanding the delisting problem requires understanding why publishers do it in the first place. It's not random. It's not malicious. Well, not entirely. It's systematic and profitable.

First, licensing is expensive. Many games license music, TV shows, movies, or athlete likenesses. Maintaining those licenses costs money every year. When a licensing deal is about to expire, publishers do a cost-benefit analysis: maintain the license and keep the game available, or let it expire and delist the game.

The answer is usually to delist. The music in a 2008 racing game didn't make the publisher money anymore. Keeping the license active just drains profit. Delisting lets the publisher avoid ongoing licensing fees.

Second, pushing players toward sequels is profitable. If a game like The Crew is still available and playable, players have less reason to buy The Crew 2. By delisting the original, publishers force players to either upgrade or find alternatives. It's not accidental that publishers often delist games right around the time sequels launch.

Third, server maintenance costs money. Online-dependent games require servers to function. MMOs require thousands of dollars monthly in server infrastructure. When a game stops making money, publishers shut down servers and delist the game rather than maintain them indefinitely.

Fourth, delisting reduces support costs. Players need customer service, encounter bugs, request refunds. If you delist a game, you eliminate most of those costs. No more support tickets for a product that's no longer being sold.

All of this is financially rational. It makes sense within a corporate profit-maximization framework. But it creates a system where players lose access to products they purchased, and publishers face no consequences for deleting digital property.

Estimated data shows that regulatory compliance and investor pressure could have the highest financial impact on publishers, potentially costing millions in compliance and valuation changes.

Regulatory Precedent: How Other Industries Handle Delisting

Game delisting isn't the only industry where products disappear. It's useful to look at how other sectors have been regulated.

Automotive industry: When manufacturers stop supporting a vehicle, they can't just make the car non-functional. Mechanics can still repair old cars with aftermarket parts. Manufacturers must provide technical documentation. The "Right to Repair" movement is demanding even more protection.

Electronics industry: Products like appliances or phones eventually get delisted from support. But the physical product remains in your possession and functional. You can still use your 2015 phone even if the manufacturer stops supporting it. The hardware doesn't stop working.

Publishing industry: Books go out of print constantly. But if you own a physical copy, you keep it. Nobody comes to your house and takes your book. The author's copyright eventually expires, and the book enters the public domain.

Gaming is the anomaly. Publishers can delist a game and make it literally impossible to access, even for people who paid for it. The product disappears not just from stores but from people's libraries entirely.

Regulatory frameworks for other industries suggest a path forward for gaming. Either publishers maintain some version of delisted games (like Right to Repair in automotive), or they offer permanent DRM-free versions players can keep, or they pay refunds to affected customers.

International Coordination: A Global Movement

One of the strongest aspects of the Stop Killing Games campaign is its international character. The movement isn't isolated to one country or region. Players across the globe have signed the petition. The campaign has mobilized support from multiple continents.

Setting up separate NGOs in the EU and US is a strategic recognition of this global nature. Different regions will pursue different strategies based on local regulatory environments and legal systems. But they're coordinated. Information, research, and legal precedent can flow between them.

If the EU NGO wins a favorable regulatory ruling, it provides precedent for the US NGO. If US litigation succeeds, it gives the EU organization ammunition for court cases. International coordination makes both efforts stronger.

There's also potential for coordination with game preservation organizations already working on related issues. The Video Game History Foundation, Internet Archive's software preservation project, and academic researchers have been documenting game delisting and preservation challenges for years. The Stop Killing Games NGOs can partner with these existing organizations and amplify their research.

International publishers operate globally. They can't have one set of rules for Europe and another for the US. If either region passes legislation protecting delisted games, it affects global operations. Publishers might simply implement the strictest standard everywhere rather than maintain different systems.

Technical Solutions: Offline Modes and Open-Source Alternatives

Beyond legal and regulatory action, the Stop Killing Games campaign is also pushing for technical solutions. The most obvious: offline modes.

If online games had offline alternatives, delisting becomes less of a problem. Players can still access the core experience. This is why Ubisoft's addition of offline mode to The Crew 2 was so significant. It proved the technical feasibility.

Most modern games could support offline modes with relatively modest development effort. Multiplayer functionality would be lost, but single-player or cooperative experience could remain. That's a reasonable compromise between publisher interests (reduced ongoing costs) and consumer interests (maintained access).

Another technical solution is open-sourcing delisted games. Once a game is no longer profitable, publishers could release the source code to the community. Players and modders could maintain the game indefinitely. The publisher bears minimal ongoing cost, but players retain access.

This isn't unprecedented. Some studios have open-sourced games after discontinuing them. The community maintains them. Players can modify and improve them. Everyone wins.

The Stop Killing Games campaign could push for legal requirements mandating one of these solutions before delisting. Publishers could choose: maintain offline mode or release the code. Either way, players keep the game.

If the Stop Killing Games campaign succeeds, it could significantly impact digital media sectors by enforcing ownership rights, with video streaming potentially seeing the largest change. (Estimated data)

The Financial Impact: Why This Matters to Publishers

Publishers might be wondering why they should care about the Stop Killing Games campaign. It's one activist movement, right? How much can it really affect their business?

The answer is: more than they think, and the impact is growing.

First, regulatory pressure. If the EU or US passes legislation requiring publishers to maintain delisted games or provide offline modes, that's a direct cost. Every game studio operating internationally would need to comply. The development costs are real.

Second, litigation risk. If the Stop Killing Games NGOs file lawsuits arguing that game delisting violates consumer protection laws, publishers face legal bills and potential judgments. It takes just one court ruling in the wrong direction to shift the entire industry.

Third, reputational damage. The Stop Killing Games campaign has already made game delisting controversial. Public knowledge of delisted games affects consumer purchasing decisions. Players vote with their wallets. If a publisher gets a reputation for aggressive delisting, players might buy from competitors instead.

Fourth, investor pressure. If regulation or litigation becomes likely, investors get nervous. Stock prices drop. Institutional investors demand action. A major delisting-related lawsuit could significantly impact a publisher's valuation.

Fifth, platform pressure. Steam, PlayStation, and Xbox could unilaterally mandate that publishers provide offline versions before delisting. These platforms control distribution. They have enormous leverage. If they enforce a no-delisting policy, publishers comply.

So while the Stop Killing Games campaign currently lacks formal regulatory power, it's building power in multiple directions simultaneously. That's why smart publishers are paying attention.

Future Scenarios: Where This Goes From Here

There are several plausible futures for the Stop Killing Games campaign.

Scenario One: Regulatory Victory. The EU passes legislation requiring publishers to maintain offline modes before delisting games. The US follows with similar consumer protection rules. Publishers adapt their business models. Game delisting becomes rare. The NGOs declare victory and shift to monitoring compliance.

Scenario Two: Litigation Success. A major lawsuit in either the US or EU establishes legal precedent that game delisting violates consumer protection laws. Publishers face class-action suits from affected players. Regulatory action follows. Substantial financial liability convinces publishers to maintain games or provide refunds.

Scenario Three: Industry Compromise. Publishers preemptively adopt industry standards before legislation passes. They establish a clearing house for delisted games. They commit to offline modes or open-sourcing delisted titles. The NGOs negotiate terms, declare partial victory, and shift to enforcement.

Scenario Four: Slow Erosion. The campaign maintains public pressure over years. Gradually, more publishers adopt offline modes or archive old games. Delisting continues but becomes less common. The NGOs remain active, filing occasional lawsuits and responding to egregious cases. Progress is incremental but consistent.

Scenario Five: Stalemate. Publishers resist change. Legislation fails or gets watered down. Litigation succeeds in some cases but not others. The campaign persists but fails to achieve systemic change. Game delisting continues, but public awareness prevents the most egregious cases.

The first scenario would be the complete victory. The second would be a major win with legal teeth. The third would be a negotiated settlement. The fourth would be slow progress. The fifth would be a meaningful loss despite campaign effort.

Which scenario plays out depends on factors beyond the campaign's control: how sympathetic regulators are, how willing courts are to challenge publisher practices, how much financial damage litigation inflicts, and whether public sentiment remains engaged.

Broader Implications: Beyond Gaming

The Stop Killing Games campaign is about gaming, but the implications extend far beyond it.

Ebooks disappear from readers' libraries. Amazon has remotely deleted books from Kindles. Music disappears from streaming services. Video services remove titles from your library when licenses expire. Software stops working when companies shut down servers. Entire digital subscriptions vanish when companies go out of business.

The question of digital ownership extends across all digital media. If the Stop Killing Games campaign succeeds in establishing that you own what you buy, even in digital form, it sets precedent for other media.

Imagine legislation requiring that any digital product sold must either remain available to the purchaser indefinitely, or be offered as a DRM-free download at the moment of delisting. That would revolutionize how ebooks work, how streaming services operate, and how software licensing functions.

Publishers would hate it. They've built entire business models around licensing and the ability to revoke access. But consumers would benefit enormously. The Stop Killing Games campaign is potentially the first domino in a much larger shift toward consumer rights in digital media.

This is why corporate interests are monitoring the campaign closely. They're not just worried about gaming. They're worried about precedent.

Estimated data suggests that financial support and market influence are the most common actions players take to support the Stop Killing Games campaign.

The Next 12-24 Months: Critical Timeline

The next 12 to 24 months are crucial for the Stop Killing Games campaign. This is when the NGOs launch, the 500-page legal document gets finalized, and regulatory strategy becomes concrete.

Key milestones to watch:

Months 1-3: NGO Establishment. Formation of the legal organizations, hiring of initial staff, board selection, governance structure. This is bureaucratic but essential groundwork.

Months 4-6: European Commission Meetings. Leadership presents findings to EU officials. Regulatory discussions begin. Preliminary feedback on legislative possibilities.

Months 6-12: Legal Documentation Release. The 500-page paper goes public. Media coverage amplifies findings. Public awareness increases further.

Months 12-18: Formal Legislative Proposals. EU proposes specific language for digital game preservation requirements. US explores options through state attorneys general or federal regulatory action.

Months 18-24: Industry Response. Publishers respond to proposed legislation. Some might adopt industry standards proactively. Others mount counter-lobbying campaigns. The stakes become visible.

If the campaign reaches month 24 with meaningful regulatory momentum, it's likely winning. If regulatory interest fades and publishers successfully block action, the path becomes harder.

What Players Can Do: Supporting the Movement

The Stop Killing Games campaign has reached critical mass through grassroots support. Millions of players have signed the petition. That's meaningful, but it needs to translate into sustained engagement.

If you care about this issue, here's what you can actually do:

Support the NGOs financially. Once the organizations launch and set up donation channels, contribute if you can. NGOs with healthy budgets can hire better lawyers and researchers.

Document delisted games. Create archives. Take screenshots. Record gameplay. Upload documentation to preservation databases. This contributes to the 500-page evidence document and creates public record.

Contact your representatives. Email your elected officials. Tell them you care about digital ownership rights. Regulatory action requires political will, and political will comes from constituent pressure.

Engage locally. Talk to other players about delisting. Share information. Build awareness. Movements require sustained public engagement. The louder the public demands change, the harder politicians can ignore it.

Vote with your wallet. Support publishers that respect digital ownership. Criticize those that don't. Avoid games from publishers with aggressive delisting practices. Market feedback influences corporate strategy.

Participate in organizing. Once the NGOs are formally established, they might seek volunteer researchers, community managers, or advocates. Getting directly involved accelerates progress.

Preserve games legally. Buy DRM-free versions. Support preservation organizations. Purchase games from publishers and platforms that respect ownership.

The Stop Killing Games campaign has already proven that coordinated player action can move the needle. Regulatory meetings with the European Commission don't happen by accident. They happen because millions of players made their voices heard.

Counterarguments: Why Publishers Resist

Understanding the opposition is important. Publishers aren't evil. They're operating under different assumptions about digital commerce.

The licensing argument: Games include licensed content that expires. Maintaining games after license expiration creates legal liability. Publishers could be sued for licensing violations if they keep delisted games available.

The cost argument: Maintaining servers and infrastructure for old games costs money. Publishers argue they shouldn't be required to incur ongoing expenses for products that no longer generate revenue.

The property rights argument: Publishers argue they're the creators and retain rights to their creations. Requiring them to maintain access violates their property rights as creators.

The precedent argument: If gaming is regulated this way, other industries become vulnerable. Software companies don't want to maintain old versions forever. Streaming services don't want to archive every removed title. Publishers fear precedent.

The business model argument: Some publishers argue that delisting enables their business models. MMOs shut down because maintaining them is unprofitable. New entries in franchises need to establish clear upgrade paths. Older games become maintenance burdens.

These aren't unreasonable arguments. They're just arguments that prioritize corporate interests over consumer interests. The debate is ultimately about where you draw the line: do corporate interests or consumer interests take precedence?

The Stop Killing Games campaign draws that line with consumers in the lead. Regulatory frameworks will determine if society agrees.

The Philosophical Foundation: Why Digital Ownership Matters

Zoom out from the specific details of game delisting. The core question is philosophical: what does ownership mean in the digital age?

For most of human history, property meant physical objects. You owned a book because you possessed the physical copy. You owned a vehicle because you held the title and had the keys. Ownership was transferable, durable, and mostly irreversible.

Digital products have created ambiguity. You buy an ebook, but the publisher retains ultimate control. You pay for a song, but the licensing determines if you can play it. You purchase a game, but the publisher can delete it from existence.

This represents a fundamental shift in what ownership means. It's no longer about possessing something tangible. It's about having access granted by a corporation that can revoke it at will.

The Stop Killing Games campaign asserts that this doesn't make sense. That payment should confer ownership rights similar to physical goods. That corporations shouldn't have unilateral power to revoke purchased property. That digital ownership should have legal protections.

This isn't a radical position. It's consistent with centuries of property law and consumer protection frameworks. The radical position is actually the corporate position: we sold you something, but we retain the right to make it inaccessible whenever we want.

Fighting for digital ownership rights is fighting for property rights in the 21st century. It's fundamentally about what control you have over products you pay for.

The outcome of the Stop Killing Games campaign will shape digital property rights for decades. If consumers win, digital ownership becomes more like traditional ownership. If corporations win, digital products remain subject to unilateral corporate control.

Conclusion: A Movement at an Inflection Point

The Stop Killing Games campaign has reached a critical juncture. A petition with a million signatures has transformed into a formal organizational structure with legitimate regulatory engagement. The movement is professionalizing. It's shifting from grassroots activism to institutional power.

This shift is important. Petitions move public opinion. Organizations win policy changes. The Stop Killing Games campaign is becoming the kind of organization that can actually change industry practices and shape legislation.

The coming years will determine whether the campaign achieves meaningful victory. The 500-page legal document needs to be ironclad. The EU NGO needs to navigate complex regulatory processes effectively. The US NGO needs to pursue litigation strategy that generates favorable precedent. All of this requires skill, persistence, and resources.

But the underlying issue is fundamentally compelling. Players have bought these games. Players have paid money. The idea that corporations can delete purchased property is increasingly difficult to defend ethically and legally.

Ubisoft proved that publisher behavior can change under pressure. The offline mode for The Crew 2 demonstrates that publishers can adapt to consumer concerns. The question is whether sustained institutional pressure through NGOs can force broader industry change.

The Stop Killing Games campaign isn't guaranteed to win. But it's positioned better than any previous effort to address game preservation and digital ownership. It has public momentum. It has organizational structure. It has clear regulatory targets. It has the legal foundation being developed through 500 pages of documentation.

The next 12-24 months will be telling. Watch for EU regulatory proposals. Watch for litigation announcements. Watch for publisher responses. The outcome will ripple far beyond gaming, affecting how digital ownership works across all media.

For millions of players, the Stop Killing Games campaign represents something simple: the right to keep playing games they paid for. It shouldn't require a movement. But until digital ownership rights are properly protected, it does.

FAQ

What is the Stop Killing Games campaign?

The Stop Killing Games campaign is a global movement demanding that video game publishers maintain access to games that players have purchased, or provide refunds when games are delisted. Started by YouTube creator Ross Scott, the campaign has garnered over a million petition signatures and is now establishing formal NGOs in the EU and US to pursue legal action and regulatory change.

Why do publishers delist games?

Publishers delist games for multiple reasons: expiring music or licensing agreements become too expensive to maintain, online servers cost money to operate, server maintenance is unprofitable for older games, they want to push players toward newer releases, and delisting removes customer support costs. While financially rational for publishers, delisting revokes access from players who purchased the games.

How do the new NGOs differ from the petition campaign?

NGOs have legal standing to file lawsuits, hire professional lawyers and researchers, meet with government officials, and pursue sustained legal strategy over decades. They can publish detailed legal research, testify before regulatory bodies, and execute "counter lobbying" against corporate interests. The petition created public awareness; the NGOs translate that awareness into actual institutional power.

What is the European Union doing about game delisting?

The Stop Killing Games campaign leadership has scheduled meetings with the European Commission to present their findings and push for regulatory action. The EU has already demonstrated willingness to regulate digital practices through the Digital Services Act and consumer protection frameworks. Potential EU regulations could require publishers to maintain offline modes, provide refunds, or continue server support before delisting games.

Could legislation require publishers to maintain all games forever?

Unlikely. More realistic outcomes would require publishers to provide one of three options before delisting: maintain an offline version, release the source code to the community, or provide refunds to affected players. These solutions preserve player access while acknowledging that publishers shouldn't be forced to maintain costly server infrastructure indefinitely.

What does "long-term counter lobbying" mean in this context?

Counter lobbying refers to organized advocacy that opposes industry lobbying efforts. Publishers employ lobbyists to influence legislation in their favor. The Stop Killing Games NGOs would hire their own advocates to push back with consumer-focused arguments, present research to regulators, and mobilize public support to counter industry pressure during legislative processes.

How does Ubisoft's offline mode for The Crew 2 change the conversation?

Ubisoft's addition of offline mode to The Crew 2 proves that publishers can technically maintain playable versions of delisted games. It demonstrates the solution is possible. This precedent strengthens the Stop Killing Games campaign's position by showing that industry concerns about technical impossibility are unfounded.

What happens if the campaign succeeds in one region but not another?

If the EU passes favorable legislation while the US does not, publishers would likely implement the strictest standard globally rather than maintain different systems for different regions. This means EU regulatory success could establish de facto protections for US players as well, though formal US legislation would be preferable.

Can individual players do anything to support the campaign?

Yes. Players can donate to the NGOs once they're established, document delisted games and create preservation archives, contact elected representatives expressing support for digital ownership protections, avoid purchasing from publishers with aggressive delisting practices, and spread awareness about game preservation among other players. Sustained public engagement amplifies campaign effectiveness.

How does game delisting relate to broader digital ownership issues?

The Stop Killing Games campaign addresses a problem that affects all digital media: publishers can revoke access to content you purchased. The precedent established by success in gaming could protect ebook collections, music libraries, software licenses, and streaming subscriptions. Digital ownership rights established in one domain often extend to others.

Key Takeaways

• Stop Killing Games is transitioning from petition to institutional NGO strategy with separate organizations for EU and US regulatory markets
• Over 180 games have been delisted since 2020, affecting millions of players who lost access to purchased digital content
• Ubisoft's offline mode addition to The Crew 2 proves publishers can technically maintain games after delisting if pressured
• The 500-page legal documentation being developed provides evidence base for regulatory meetings with EU Commission and potential US litigation
• Success in either EU or US could set global precedent affecting digital ownership rights across gaming, ebooks, music, and software industries

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