The Cease Killing Video games initiative has reached the essential 1 million signatures milestone in its quest to protect video video games for many years to return, however its combat isn’t over but.
The self-described shopper motion soared previous the purpose yesterday, July 3, cementing its standing as a powerful petition in gaming historical past and a motion that has loads of gasoline left within the tank. It’s all within the identify of defending the video video games gamers love – and even those they don’t – because the trade steadily marches towards a digital future.
Numerous video games we purchase at present are constructed to only cease working when the writer pulls the plug on em. It must cease. If you’re EU citizen please contemplate signing #stopkillinggames initiative. pic.twitter.com/nsTusFyGrL
— Pat_ (@Pat8_8) July 2, 2025
Social media feeds have since stuffed with reactions from supporters praising an operation that might assist save multiplayer and single-player video games for future generations. Whereas players take to the web to rejoice, spokesperson and organizer Ross Scott says reaching 1 million signatures is sweet information however removed from a victory.
“OK, the breaking information: The European Residents’ Initiative has crossed 1 million signatures – besides it hasn’t,” Scott stated in a video replace uploaded yesterday. “That is going to kill morale, however there are two issues happening right here. The primary we knew was coming. Each time any individual makes a mistake once they signal the Initiative, their signature will get invalidated. So which means we’d like extra signatures to make up for everyone’s errors.”
It is an vital variable within the equation on the highway to 1 million respectable Cease Killing Video games endorsements, and it’s only one flaw to think about. The opposite includes reviews Scott has acquired relating to fabricated signatures that might be artificially inflating the initiative’s progress.
“First off, I need to say that this isn’t a Change.org petition,” Scott provides. “It is a authorities course of. Spoofing signatures on it’s a crime. Please don’t do that. They’ll be checked later by the EU fee, and my guess is the pretend ones will get turned over to the Europol or Interpol, and so they’ll comply with up on this.”
To anybody who made a mistake or is not certain in the event that they signed the EU initiative already, you may contact the official spokesperson (Daniel Ondruska) and he can direct you on how you can attain the EU to kind it out. His contact is on the web page beneath “extra information”https://t.co/EpnNTDR85U
— Accursed Farms (@accursedfarms) July 4, 2025
To account for what might be a major variety of invalid Cease Killing Video games signatures, the initiative has altered its ultimate purpose to be 1.4 million signatures. On the time of this story’s publication, Cease Killing Video games has reached 1.07 million endorsements forward of its July 31 finish date.
“So, yeah, that sucks,” Scott continued. “We’ll simply maintain slugging away except we will work out what the protected numbers are. Sorry this isn’t an enormous victory celebration. That is simply type of suspenseful and tense as a substitute, and can most likely damage the morale of individuals signing.”
Save States
Scott, who has created gaming content material through his Accursed Farms YouTube channel for greater than a decade, launched Cease Killing Video games in April 2024 as a direct response to Ubisoft’s determination to close down its common open-world racing sport, The Crew. The motion goals to create a ripple impact that might shake the trade into preserving video games on-line lengthy after gamers lose curiosity.
It means every little thing from The Crew to Harmony may theoretically stay on-line to take pleasure in ought to the initiative amass sufficient public complaints to see the European Fee go a regulation defending shopper rights. Ideally, gamers may see live-service and multiplayer titles like BioWare’s Anthem, which was given a shutdown schedule simply yesterday, may proceed on in some kind ought to a writer determine to sundown help. Success may additionally imply single-player video games that depend on on-line elements, akin to Demise Stranding or Darkish Souls, may stay intact, too.
WEAK
I do know Anthem bought panned, but it surely’s one other instance of 1 that looks like it had a cool trying world to run round in. I used to be all for attempting it out and preserving my expectations low. Yet one more instance of why SKG is so wanted.https://t.co/fDsq0ZsP8K
— Accursed Farms (@accursedfarms) July 3, 2025
Cease Killing Video games desires to save lots of the artwork that builders pour their hearts into whereas defending customers preferring to entry video games they’ve already paid for, and it’s a motion that a whole lot of hundreds of sport gamers are already supporting. Following its promising launch final yr, nevertheless, the initiative struggled to keep up the help it wanted to push its manner via to the eyes that wanted to see it.
Cease Killing Video games’ possibilities at a profitable marketing campaign turned so dire that Scott went so far as to publish a video titled “The tip of Cease Killing Video games” simply final week. Within the hour-long explainer piece, Scott listed an absence of publicity as one main trigger behind the shortage of help. It was the Hail Mary the initiative wanted, although, as distinguished YouTubers like Jacksepticeye, penquinz0/Cr1TiKaL, Ludwig, and extra had been fast to voice their help with their very own movies.
All inside the weeks since Scott shared his issues, Cease Killing Video games has gained a whole lot of hundreds of signatures, leading to a strong chunk of the greater than 1 million names hooked up to the motion at present. Success stays unsure even when Scott is ready to attain that magic 1.4 million quantity, with much more uncertainty mendacity on the opposite facet of that purpose put up. Nonetheless, as outlined by Scott on the Cease Killing Video games web site, he feels optimistic about the way forward for sport preservation if the signature purpose is met.
“If we will go the signature threshold,” Scott says, “there’s a very sturdy probability that the European Fee will go new regulation that may each defend shopper rights to retain video video games that clients have bought and advance preservation efforts massively.”
Ought to the phrase get out to sufficient people, gamers may see considerably of a return to the times when shopping for a sport got here with the reassurance that it could stay playable no matter post-launch interference. We’ll have the entire updates right here at IGN, however within the meantime, you may learn up on our protection of Cease Killing Video games’ launch right here. You can even take a look at the opposite objectives Cease Killing Video games has managed to realize previously yr. You can even find out about how digital PC storefront GOG is doing its half relating to sport preservation.
Michael Cripe is a contract contributor with IGN. He is finest identified for his work at websites like The Pitch, The Escapist, and OnlySP. You’ll want to give him a comply with on Bluesky (@mikecripe.bsky.social) and Twitter (@MikeCripe).
