Stop Killing Games Campaign Surpasses Threshold with 1.2 Million+ Valid Signatures

Over 89% of signatures collected for the Stop Killing Games European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI) have been officially validated.

The final count confirms that out of 1,448,270 total signatures, 1,294,188 were verified across 27 European countries, comfortably surpassing the one million minimum required to trigger legislative consideration.

The petition, formally titled “Stop Destroying Videogames,” now advances to the legislative phase. This means the European Commission and Parliament must formally respond, potentially paving the way for new laws that protect digital games from being permanently shut down.

The campaign was launched in April 2024 by YouTuber Ross Scott, who has long been vocal about consumer rights in gaming. It gained momentum after Ubisoft delisted The Crew, leaving players unable to access a game they had purchased.

At its core, the initiative demands that publishers ensure games remain playable even after official support ends. Specifically, publishers cannot remotely disable games (e.g., via server shutdowns or kill switches) without providing reasonable alternatives, such as offline modes, private server tools, or end-of-life patches.

According to organizers, this practice effectively destroys consumer-owned products and undermines digital ownership.

The petition officially closed on July 31, 2025, with more than 1.4 million signatures, exceeding the threshold by 145%. Verification results are now announced, confirming the campaign’s strong backing.

Germany led the way with 233,180 verified signatures, followed by France with 145,289 and Poland with 143,826.

Here’s the full breakdown of verified signatures by country:

• Germany: 233,180

• France: 145,289

• Poland: 143,826

• Spain: 121,616

• Netherlands: 90,413

• Italy: 77,030

• Sweden: 71,158

• Finland: 54,538

• Romania: 38,221

• Denmark: 36,010

• Ireland: 36,073

• Belgium: 31,846

• Portugal: 31,585

• Czech Republic: 25,935

• Hungary: 25,595

• Austria: 20,714

• Greece: 19,618

• Slovakia: 18,628

• Bulgaria: 14,238

• Croatia: 14,403

• Lithuania: 14,461

• Estonia: 9,296

• Latvia: 7,526

• Slovenia: 6,520

• Luxembourg: 2,465

• Malta: 2,007

• Cyprus: 1,997

• Total: 1,294,188

Meanwhile, the UK had to run a separate petition due to Brexit. That campaign also succeeded, gathering 189,890 signatures by July 14, 2025, well above the 100,000 needed to trigger a parliamentary debate. The UK Parliament discussed the issue on November 3, 2025. The government, though, acknowledged that ‘digital ownership must be respected’, but declined to introduce any legal changes.

On the EU side, momentum is building. On September 25, 2025, the Internal Market and Consumer Protection Committee (IMCO) approved a request from Polish MEP Piotr Müller to hold a special expert workshop dedicated to the initiative. This marks the 'first formal step' by lawmakers in addressing the matter.

As mentioned in the last update, organizers have also been meeting with Members of the European Parliament, national governments, and political parties, while some European Commission representatives have proactively reached out.

The campaign continues to push for academic and expert backing, with plans for public events and demonstrations in front of parliament. Organizers are encouraging citizens to keep pressure on governments, consumer protection groups, and even game studios to ensure the issue remains visible.

The validated signatures will be handed over to EU officials in Brussels by mid to late February 2026. The European Commission will then review the initiative, hold a public hearing, and issue a formal response. While the Commission is not obligated to propose legislation, successful ECIs often influence policy, especially when consumer rights are at stake.