A contentious bill designed to stop publishers from permanently removing games from players' hands has cleared a key hurdle in California, passing the state Assembly with a 43-16 vote this week. AB-1921, formally titled the Protect Our Games Act, now heads to the state Senate where committee debate is expected in June.
The legislation emerged from grassroots pressure by Stop Killing Games, a consumer advocacy movement that started in April 2024 when Ubisoft shuttered The Crew and rendered all copies unplayable. The movement has since built momentum across multiple continents, gathering over 1.3 million signatures on a European Citizens' initiative by January.
Under the proposed law, game publishers would face a mandatory 60-day notice period before taking server-dependent titles offline. After that window, companies must either enable the game to be played offline through community servers or other technical solutions, or issue refunds to anyone who purchased the title. Assembly member Chris Ward, who introduced the bill, framed it as consumer protection.
"The idea came to be from a constituent in San Diego who is tired of seeing their game shut down after recent purchases," Ward said in a statement. He urged California gamers and developers to contact their state senators to push the bill forward.
The vote broke largely along party lines. Democrats provided strong backing with 42 yes votes to 1 no vote. Republicans split sharply with 2 supporting and 15 opposing the measure. Ward acknowledged the political challenge ahead, noting "there is much work to be done" before the bill reaches the governor's desk.
The timing of the vote comes as major publishers continue delisting games at an accelerating pace. Sony recently announced it would shut down PlayStation 5 title Destruction AllStars, while 2K Games plans to delist Lego 2K Drive and disable its online functionality. These moves add fuel to Stop Killing Games' central argument: that consumers who pay full price for digital goods deserve permanent access.
European legislators have taken notice of the movement's growing influence. Earlier this month, politicians in the European Union debated the Stop Killing Games initiative's preservation goals and promised to deliver a formal response in the coming weeks, signaling that the issue is becoming a serious policy matter on both continents.
Author Emily Chen: "California moving first on game preservation protections puts real pressure on other states and the industry to follow suit, and it's a win for consumers who've watched libraries disappear without a word of apology."
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