This week, the California State Assembly passed the “Protect Our Games Act,” moving the bill towards the legislature. It is one of the biggest wins for the “Stop Killing Games” movement in North America so far, as YouTuber Scott Ross’ campaign picks up steam internationally.
Bill AB 1921 proposes new conditions to commercial games being sundowned. For one, publishers must give players a 60 day warning before ending a game’s service, wiping out the potential for future Concord disasters. It would also require these games still allow access to them at some level indefinitely, whether it be a single-player mode or enough of a pulse for fan servers to latch on. This bill would only apply to purchased games, however, letting free-to-play games off the hook.
If the bill passes the California Senate, it would apply to games released or resold after January 1st, 2027. It passed the State Assembly on a vote of 43 to 16.
Policy like this is picking up traction around the world. The Stop Killing Games movement found a lot of open ears in the European Parliament, where hearings mainly highlighted predatory market practices, though not without one crank taking the opportunity to whine about “wokeness.” The Euro Zone in general is growing weary of modern gaming blights, with their ratings board dealing sterner penalties for gambling-like gatcha elements or penalizing kids for away-time.
The Stop Killing Games movement was kicked up by YouTuber Scott Ross. Also known as Accursed Farms, Ross took issue with Ubisoft shutting down their open world driving sim The Crew in 2024. Ross’ campaign argues that games should not be so easily removed from their players, breaking apart the increasingly common relationship that suggests players merely lease the software they’ve paid for instead of own. Something made possible by the fact that games are also overwhelmingly distributed digitally, with some retail copies only offering an impermanent download key as well. These conditions have fostered an atmosphere of skepticism at the mere proposal of live-service games, creating astonishing levels of scrutiny or outright bloodlust.
Ross took a step down from being the figurehead of this movement in 2025, but does speak on its behalf when called upon for hearings. While the progress in Europe is nothing to ignore, one thing that makes the Californian win so significant is how influential business interests are in state politics. California is home to some of the biggest publishers in the world, not to mention Silicon Valley itself. The ESA, who previously organized E3, have been one of the most vocal opponents to the movement.