Overview
- The European Commission said on June 16 that it cannot impose a legal duty for publishers to keep games playable after they stop being sold and will not propose new EU law on the issue.
- Instead the Commission pledged to convene industry and consumer representatives to draft a voluntary code of conduct on games’ 'end of life' and to step up enforcement and awareness of existing consumer rights.
- Brussels cited intellectual property rules, publishers’ confidential business information, the cost of indefinite support and potential cybersecurity risks as reasons a legal obligation would be disproportionate.
- Campaigners behind Stop Killing Games, which gathered about 1.29 million verified signatures, plan to press for amendments to the Digital Fairness Act in the European Parliament and back U.S. state efforts while litigation over Ubisoft’s shutdown of The Crew continues.
- For players this means clearer storefront warnings and better use of current consumer remedies may come first, but binding guarantees of playable offline versions or forced server releases remain uncertain and will depend on parliamentary votes, court rulings or state laws.