Stop Killing Games Archives

AppWizard

October 30, 2025

Only 3% of Stop Killing Games’ EU initiative signees have failed verification so far—which is a great sign it’ll progress to the European Commission

The Stop Killing Games initiative has gained over 400,000 additional signatures, surpassing the threshold needed to present it to the European Commission. The initiative advocates for game companies to create end-of-life plans for discontinued titles, including support for fan-operated servers. As of now, 689,035 out of 1,448,270 signatures have been verified, with 15 countries meeting their thresholds. Approximately 3% of signatures have failed verification, equating to about 43,448 invalid signatures, leaving around 1,404,822 valid signatures, which exceeds the required one million.

AppWizard

August 18, 2025

‘I always knew it was going to go away eventually:’ Anthem producer Mark Darrah gives his take on Stop Killing Games ahead of his own project shutting down forever

The Stop Killing Games initiative has sparked a debate about the discontinuation of live service games, highlighted by the announcement that Anthem will cease operations in early 2026. Mark Darrah, former executive producer of Anthem, expressed regret about the game's fate and suggested that compromises in game design could have allowed it to continue operating. He noted that a less polished version of the game might have been sustainable. Players have also experienced loss, as seen with Ubisoft's The Crew, which was removed from Steam in March 2024. Darrah questions whether the gaming community should accept compromises to prevent beloved games from disappearing, emphasizing the need for a balance between game quality and longevity.

AppWizard

August 2, 2025

GOG Gives Away 13 Free PC Games for 48 Hours Only

GOG is offering a selection of 13 games for free for a limited time of 48 hours as part of its initiative FreedomToBuy.games, in response to recent game delistings. The games available include titles such as Leap of Love, POSTAL 2, and HuniePop. Users can claim individual titles without needing to select all 13, and a GOG.com account is required to add the games to their library. After the promotional period, these titles will still be available for purchase. GOG specializes in DRM-free games and has a GOG Preservation Program aimed at providing access to older games.

AppWizard

July 23, 2025

Stop Killing Games is facing a complaint in the EU that uses nonsense logic to accuse the movement’s founder of failing to disclose financial contributions he never made: ‘It’s not paranoia if they really are out to get you’

The Stop Killing Games movement has gathered 1.4 million signatures for its European Citizens' Initiative (ECI), which seeks to ensure that games can operate on customer systems after official support ends. If validated, the European Commission must consider the proposal. However, an anonymous complaint has been filed alleging "systemic concealment of major contributions" by the campaign's founder, Ross Scott, who reportedly has not disclosed significant professional contributions valued between €63,000 and €147,000. Scott argues that EU regulations do not require reporting of non-financial support from volunteers. The trade association Video Games Europe has expressed concerns that the initiative could hinder developers' creative choices. The petition deadline is July 31.