Image: Push Square
Last week, the UK’s governing body held an official debate about the Stop Killing Games campaign, and it seems nothing will change — for now, at the very least.
Stop Killing Games is a consumer rights campaign that, broadly, asks for alternative ways to play online games once they reach then end of their lives and are taken down.
It asks that users be able to play the games they paid to access when accessing them is no longer possible.
The campaign amassed a huge amount of support, generating enough signatures to force a governmental debate on the topic.
This debate was held on Monday 3rd November 2025, where many members of parliament argued in favour of Stop Killing Games, echoing concerns about video game preservation, digital ownership, and the UK’s enormous contribution to the medium.
Despite many valid points from numerous MPs, the official government stance on the matter hasn’t shifted.
In a nutshell, the UK government believes that implementing end-of-life plans for online games risks “harmful unintended consequences”, by which it basically means extended development and higher costs to meet the demands of Stop Killing Games.
“Online video games are often dynamic, interactive services—not static products—and maintaining online services requires substantial investment over years or even decades. Games are more complex than ever before to develop and maintain, with the largest exceeding the budget of a modern Hollywood blockbuster. That can make it extremely challenging to implement plans for video games after formal support for them has ended and risks creating harmful unintended consequences for gamers, as well as for video game companies.”
The government’s statement also addresses the concept of ownership, stressing that games have always been licensed to customers rather than sold outright, but says that exactly what users are paying for must be made clear.
“Points were made about consumer law and ownership. UK law is very clear: it requires information to consumers to be clear and correct. The Government are clear that the law works, but companies might need to communicate better. In response to a specific point made by my hon. Friend the Member for Leeds South West and Morley, I should say that it is particularly important in cases where projects fail or games have to be pulled shortly after launch that the information provided to consumers is clear and timely.”
Despite the government delivering a long-winded “no”, it’s very impressive that Stop Killing Games has made it to this stage.
At the very least, it has drummed up a lot of conversation and awareness of modern issues, with games like The Crew, ANTHEM, and many others being used as examples of why it’s important to consider.
Where do you fall on all this? Discuss in the comments section below.
[source videogameschronicle.com]
Stephen has been part of the Push Square team for over six years, bringing boundless enthusiasm and a deep knowledge of video games to his role as Assistant Editor. Having grown up playing every PlayStation console to date, he’s developed an eclectic taste, with particular passion for indie games, arcade racers, and puzzlers. He’s also our go-to guy for Sonic-related matters, much to his delight/chagrin.