The European Commission said it will engage with consumers and videogame publishers by the end of 2026 after a European Citizens’ Initiative called “Stop Destroying Videogames” raised concerns about games becoming unplayable when online support ends.
Modern videogames often rely on publishers’ servers to function, and games can become partially or entirely unplayable if publishers stop supporting those servers, the Commission said in a release on Tuesday.
The citizens’ initiative asked the Commission to propose legislation to ensure players can keep playing games after commercial support stops.
The Commission stated it cannot, at this stage, propose a legal obligation to keep videogames playable once they are no longer provided commercially, citing existing intellectual property rights, including copyright, under EU law.
It added that existing EU consumer law already includes safeguards for consumers’ economic interests.
Providers must tell consumers about the duration of a contract and the conditions for terminating it before they sign up, it said.
Consumers also have remedies when digital content or services do not match the contract or what they could reasonably expect, including the possibility of a proportionate refund, according to the Commission.
Code of conduct talks planned
The Commission said it will start discussions with the videogame industry and consumer representatives to draw up an industry code of conduct on managing videogames’ “end of life” — a term used for the period when a product is discontinued and support is withdrawn.
It also vowed to work with consumer organisations and authorities to raise awareness of existing rights that apply to videogames under the EU’s rules for digital content and digital services.
The Commission said it will report on how that directive is being applied before the end of the year.
“Video game providers must treat consumers fairly, including when they decide to discontinue a game,” Commissioner for Democracy, Justice, the Rule of Law and Consumer Protection Michael McGrath said.
“If they stop providing a game earlier than stipulated in the contract or earlier than consumers could reasonably expect, players should be appropriately reimbursed,” he added.
Executive Vice-President for Tech Sovereignty, Security and Democracy Henna Virkkunen said she hopes the industry will “agree on better sunsetting standards so communities can continue to meet and play together”.
The Commission noted this was the fourteenth European Citizens’ Initiative to receive a formal response since the scheme was launched in 2012.
