A coalition of European publishers is voicing opposition to the growing Stop Killing Games movement, which aims to prevent the shutdown of live-service games. The initiative has sparked significant discussion about game preservation, especially as studios increasingly focus on digital-only and live-service models. Many worry about the vulnerability of online-only games, like Ubisoft’s The Crew, potentially becoming unplayable if servers are discontinued.

The Stop Killing Games movement, supported by gaming YouTuber Ross Scott, has garnered over a million signatures from concerned fans. The movement’s ambitious goals include taking their message to the UK parliament or the European Commission once they reach sufficient support.

However, European publishers argue that discontinuing live-service games is necessary for financial reasons, emphasizing the importance of user privacy and accountability for illegal server content. They assert that the movement could drastically increase production costs for live-service games.

The ongoing debate surrounding live-service models, exemplified by successes like Genshin Impact and Wuthering Waves, highlights the challenges of making older games accessible on modern platforms without alienating developers.

As the discourse on game preservation continues, fans are eager to ensure that beloved titles do not fade into obscurity.