Ubisoft's discontinuation of The Crew has triggered a European campaign aiming to prevent multiplayer game shutdowns. Here's what you need to know about this preservation effort and protecting digital game ownership.

European Gamers Unite to 'Stop Killing Games'

Petition Requires 1 Million Signatures Within 12 Months

European gamers are mobilizing behind a citizens' initiative to safeguard digital purchases. The "Stop Killing Games" campaign seeks EU legislation preventing publishers from disabling playable games after terminating support.

Campaign organizer Ross Scott expressed optimism about the initiative's alignment with existing consumer protection laws. While the potential legislation would only apply within Europe, Scott hopes successful implementation could inspire global adoption through either legal requirements or industry best practices.

The path to legislation remains challenging. The European Citizen's Initiative requires signatures from at least one million eligible voters across multiple EU nations within one year to warrant official consideration. Launched in early August, the petition has already secured 183,593 signatures with eleven months remaining.

Campaign Aims to Prevent Future Game Shutdowns

The 2014 online-only racing game The Crew became the catalyst for this movement when Ubisoft terminated its servers in March 2024, effectively erasing players' investments. This year has seen similar shutdowns affecting games like SYNCED and Warhaven, highlighting the growing preservation crisis.

"This amounts to planned obsolescence," Scott commented in a YouTube video, comparing the situation to early film studios destroying nitrate films. The initiative's core demand requires publishers to maintain games in a playable state post-shutdown, with implementation methods left to companies' discretion.

The proposal would also cover free-to-play games with microtransactions, considering purchased items as protected digital goods. Successful precedents exist, such as Knockout City's transition to player-hosted servers after official shutdown.

Key exemptions include requirements for ongoing support, server hosting, intellectual property surrender, or liability for player actions. The campaign focuses solely on maintaining baseline functionality.

Supporters can sign the petition at StopKillingGames.com, with safeguards against duplicate submissions. Scott encourages global supporters to raise awareness, aiming to create industry-wide change that preserves playable access to purchased games worldwide.