Stop Killing Games Movement Surpasses 1 Million Signatures

The Stop Killing Games movement, initiated in April 2024 by content creator Ross Scott from the Accursed Farms channel, has gained significant momentum. Prominent figures like PewDiePie, Jacksepticeye, Asmongold, and even Elon Musk have voiced their support for this initiative aimed at preventing developers from discontinuing online games. The campaign was launched in response to game publishers’ persistent practice of shutting down online servers, which renders games unplayable even for those who have purchased them, as exemplified by Ubisoft’s The Crew. The core objective is to enact legislation that would compel publishers to maintain game functionality, at least in an offline capacity, or to provide refunds when servers are disabled.

Currently, the movement is focused on collecting one million signatures for the European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI). According to their official website, there is a strong likelihood that the European Commission will enact legislation to safeguard online games if they reach that signature threshold. Upon accumulating one million signatures, the European Commission is legally mandated to issue a public response to the petition. They might even organize a debate in the European Parliament, where Ross Scott is expected to present his arguments. However, there’s a crucial caveat: some signatures might be deemed invalid if they were not submitted by European citizens or if they contained submission errors. Consequently, Scott initiated an “overdrive phase” to collect an additional 400,000 signatures, specifically to offset potential invalid submissions. The deadline for collecting these signatures is July 31, 2025, providing ample time to garner further support.

Concurrently, a petition addressing the UK Parliament was also launched. It has already garnered over 144,000 signatures and is now scheduled for parliamentary debate. Despite this, the British government has previously stated its lack of intention to amend digital consumer laws in the UK. Ross Scott, for his part, has acknowledged that leading this campaign has incurred significant personal and financial costs. Furthermore, he faces criticism from other creators, such as PirateSoftware, who allege he is disseminating misinformation—a claim Scott vehemently denies.

Even though the target of one million signatures has been reached, the process remains contingent on the validation of those signatures by July 31st. Only then will the European Union issue an official response. The movement has undeniably gained momentum and visibility, but it still crucially relies on public support. Therefore, signing the petition, spreading awareness, and maintaining pressure on authorities until the end of the month are vital.