California Assembly passes Protect Our Games Act

A bill designed to protect consumers from losing access to purchased video games has cleared its first major legislative hurdle in California. The state’s Assembly passed the Protect Our Games Act, also known as Assembly Bill 1921, by a vote of 43 to 16. The legislation now moves to the California State Senate for consideration.

The bill, introduced by Assembly Member Chris Ward, aims to address a growing concern among players: that online-dependent games can become permanently unplayable when publishers shut down their servers. The issue gained widespread attention in 2024 when Ubisoft discontinued its online racing game The Crew, rendering it inaccessible even for players who owned a copy. This event helped spark the consumer-focused Stop Killing Games movement, which has advocated for similar protections internationally.

If enacted in its current form, the law would impose new requirements on publishers of commercially sold games that rely on online servers. Companies would be obligated to provide at least 60 days' notice before terminating a game’s online services. Following a shutdown, publishers would be required to either provide players with a version of the game that...