The European Commission has officially announced that the “Stop Destroying Videogames” European Citizens’ Initiative has gathered the necessary support to force a formal review.
The petition collected 1,294,188 signatures, successfully meeting the minimum threshold in 24 Member States.
Launched in June 2024, the initiative was sparked by Ubisoft’s decision to shut down servers for the racing game The Crew. despite the game being sold for real money, the server shutdown made the title completely inaccessible to owners. The initiative seeks to legally compel publishers to keep video games in a functional state once official support ends.
What happens next
According to EU regulations, the process now moves to the legislative stage:
- Review period. The Commission must examine the proposal within the next six months.
- Hearings. The European Parliament will organize public hearings after meeting with the initiative’s organizers.
- Official response. While the review does not guarantee immediate legislation, lawmakers are required to formally state what actions they intend to take to address the applicants’ concerns.
This marks a significant step toward consumer protection rights regarding digital goods and software preservation.