Massive Support for Stop Killing Games as Petition Reaches 1.4M in EU, 189K in UK
- Sagar Mankar
- Aug 2
- 2 min read
The Stop Killing Games petition has officially wrapped up its signature-gathering phase, surpassing both its UK and EU targets well ahead of the final July deadlines. This marks a major step forward for the campaign, which calls on governments to introduce laws that prevent publishers from permanently shutting down digital games that consumers have paid for.
In the European Union, the European Citizens' Initiative (ECI) version of the petition ended on July 31, 2025, with a total of 1.4 million signatures — far above the 1 million required. The campaign had already hit the baseline by July 3, but continued to collect signatures to account for any potentially invalid entries. The final tally represents 145% of the minimum threshold, meaning the European Commission is now obligated to assess the proposal and consider it for legislation.
Meanwhile, in the United Kingdom, a separate petition — necessary due to Brexit — reached 189,890 signatures by its July 14 deadline. This comfortably exceeded the 100,000 signature requirement to trigger consideration for parliamentary debate. In fact, the UK campaign even aimed for a stretch goal of 200,000 signatures to amplify its message.
In the EU, Germany led the charge with 306,399 signatures, followed by France (173,146) and Poland (156,463). Other nations like Spain, the Netherlands, Italy, and Sweden also brought in tens of thousands of supporters, reflecting a pan-European demand for stronger consumer protections in digital gaming.
Here are the country-wise signatures count:
Germany - 306,399
France - 173,146
Poland - 156,463
Spain - 127,456
Netherlands - 93,938
Italy - 79,824
Sweden - 73,244
Finland - 59,368
Romania - 41,136
Denmark - 38,344
Ireland - 36,753
Portugal - 33,372
Belgium - 32,081
Czech Republic - 27,398
Hungary - 27,316
Austria - 22,541
Greece - 21,575
Slovakia - 20,405
Lithuania - 15,059
Bulgaria - 14,714
Croatia - 14,650
Estonia - 9,683
Latvia - 8,338
Slovenia - 7,150
Luxembourg - 2,878
Cyprus - 2,241
Malta - 2,198
The UK’s data told an equally compelling story. According to maps shared by organizers, every single county, constituency, and borough in the UK saw participation. Even remote regions like Na h-Eileanan an Iar in the Outer Hebrides — home to just 26,000 people — chipped in, with 90 residents signing the petition. This nationwide spread emphasizes the campaign’s resonance with gamers of all backgrounds and locations.
The petition was originally launched on April 3, 2024, as a response to growing frustration over the increasing trend of publishers delisting or shutting down online services for games that players had purchased.
While the signature phase is now over, the real test begins. The European Commission will now review the petition and determine whether its demands — likely including mandatory offline modes or preservation frameworks — will move forward into policy discussions. In the UK, parliamentary debate is expected in the coming months.