Stop Destroying Video Games Petition Gains Wide Support in 7 EU Countries

A significant milestone has been reached for the Stop Destroying Video Games petition within the EU. Having surpassed the signature threshold in seven countries, the campaign is nearing its goal of one million signatures. Learn more about this important initiative below.

EU Gamers Rally Behind Petition

Nearly 40% of Goal Achieved

The Stop Destroying Video Games petition has garnered substantial support across seven EU nations: Denmark, Finland, Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands, Poland, and Sweden. Many of these countries have exceeded their individual targets. The current total stands at 397,943 signatures, representing 39% of the one million signature goal.

This petition, launched in June, addresses the growing concern of video games becoming unplayable after support ends. It advocates for legislation requiring publishers to maintain the functionality of online games, even after official server closures.

As the petition states, "This initiative aims to mandate that publishers selling or licensing video games (or related assets) within the European Union maintain these games in a playable state. Specifically, it seeks to prevent publishers from remotely disabling games without providing reasonable alternatives to ensure continued functionality independent of the publisher."

The petition highlights the controversy surrounding Ubisoft's The Crew, a 2014 racing game with a substantial player base (at least 12 million globally). Ubisoft's March 2024 server shutdown, citing infrastructure and licensing issues, rendered the game unplayable, sparking outrage among players. This incident, along with others, underscores the need for consumer protection in the gaming industry. A lawsuit filed by two Californian gamers against Ubisoft further emphasizes this issue.

While significant progress has been made, the petition still requires substantial additional signatures to reach its goal. EU citizens of voting age are encouraged to visit the petition website and show their support before the July 31st, 2025 deadline. While non-EU citizens cannot sign, they can help by promoting the petition to those who can.