The ephemeralephemeral/ɪˈfemərəl/L3短暂的，转瞬即逝的lasting for a very short time; transitory. nature of online-only video games has been starkly illustrated in the first half of 2026, with a cascade of server shutdowns rendering numerous titles unplayable. BioWare terminated support for its sci-fi shooter Anthem in January, after a seven-year lifespan, while Electronic Arts discontinued The Sims Mobile the same month. Wildlight Entertainment shuttered Highguard in March, mere months after its release, and Activision Blizzard took Call of Duty: Warzone Mobile offline in April. Dozens of additional games have met similar fates, exacerbating an already extensive graveyard of defunctdefunct/dɪˈfʌŋkt/L3已死亡的，不再存在或运作的no longer existing, functioning, or in use; extinct or obsolete. digital worlds. Players, who have little recourse when companies decide to cease online support, occasionally resort to operating private servers—a practice of dubious legality.
In response, the Stop Killing Games movement was founded in 2024 by YouTuber Ross Scott after Ubisoft shut down The Crew. Now an NGO in the US and Europe, it has pursued legal and legislative avenues: a European Citizens' Initiative, a French lawsuit over The Crew, and a UK parliamentary petition. Consequently, Ubisoft's CEO met European Commissioners in June, and 45 MEPs urged the Commission president to act. The Commission declined to impose a legal obligation due to copyright laws but agreed to develop a code of conduct for game end-of-life. Notwithstanding, the movement sees an opportunity in the forthcoming Digital Fairness Act, which could incorporate its proposals.
In California, the Protect Our Games Act passed the Assembly in June and now heads to the Senate. If enacted, it would mandatemandate/ˈmændeɪt/L3强制要求，授权an official order or requirement to do something; to impose a legal obligation. advance notice and continued access for purchased games released after January 2027. Notably, the bill would apply only to purchased titles, excluding free-to-play games, and would take effect in 2027. Goldman called the bill's progress 'slightly unexpected' and expressed optimism about its passage, predicting that other states would introduce similar legislation, given the growing focus on consumer rights in digital markets.
The Entertainment Software Association, a US trade body, opposes such mandates, arguing that indefinite playability imposes unsustainable infrastructure costs. Its president Stan Pierre-Louis warned that permanent obligations would drain resources from new game development. Converselyconversely/kənˈvɜːrsli/L3相反地，反过来in an opposite way; on the other hand., Katzner dismisses this as a 'pure business decision' to force players toward newer titles, analogising that car manufacturers do not destroy older vehicles when a new model is released. The tension between consumer rights and commercial sustainability will likely intensify as regulatory efforts advance.
