EU Commission rejects mandatory game preservation law

The European Commission has declined to propose legislation that would legally require video game publishers to keep purchased games playable after ending commercial support, dealing a significant setback to a major consumer rights campaign. The decision, announced on June 16, 2026, responds to a formal European Citizens' Initiative titled "Stop Destroying Videogames," which gathered over 1.29 million verified signatures.

The Commission stated that, at this stage, it cannot propose a legal obligation for publishers to maintain playability, citing existing intellectual property rights and concerns about proportionality, costs, and potential cybersecurity risks. Instead, the regulator said it will work with the video game industry and consumer representatives to draft a voluntary industry code of conduct for managing games at the end of their life cycle. This code could include measures for clearer storefront labeling about potential discontinuation. The Commission also pledged to launch a campaign to raise consumer awareness of existing digital rights and aims to complete a report on these efforts by the end of 2026.

The Stop Killing Games campaign emerged in 2024 following...