Could Discontinuing Video Games Be Considered Illegal?

Video games are moving towards the digital age at a rapid rate. Along with that comes publishers and developers utilizing live service business models as sustainable revenue streams. But nothing lasts forever, and throughout a video game's lifespan, they will eventually be decommissioned.

According to a report from The Independent, Leeds South West and Morely, a constituency in the UK, have expressed concerns about the practice of "switching off" games and rendering them unplayable, with this news being made unaware of the buyer. Mark Sewards, a member of the Parliment, expressed his thoughts further about end of service operations for video games.

“When you buy something should you have the right to keep it? Let me be clear about the ask here. I am not demanding that publishers keep servers running forever. Campaigners are not asking for indefinite technical support'" Seward said. “We are not asking these companies to keep pouring resources into a game that they themselves are finished with. What we are asking is fairly simple. A publisher should not be able to deliberately disable every copy of a game that consumers have already purchased, leaving them with nothing.”

These concerns were raised following the shuttering of the original version Ubisoft's The Crew in 2024, making the game one of the bigger movements of the Stop Killing Games campaign.

Seward continues: “The publisher should have a duty to ensure that the game, purchased and owned by the consumer, remains playable in some way. The Government has said it has no plans to amend consumer law. And while I respect the Government’s position, I can’t help but observe that what’s happening in this space could be perceived as a breach of consumer protection from unfair trading regulations."

These concerns aren't just from fans, but officials and regulatory commissions like the FTC have overseen the practices, understanding that interventions blur the line greatly between the markets and the federal government. That being said, this was going to become an eventuality that the landscape is still learning how to navigate. Video games like Anthem, which had ingame cosmetic content that ended up no longer accessible for a game that was released in 2019. Its servers will be officially shut down January 12th, 2026. Multiversus was decommissioned by WB Games and the studio closed, so players who invested in the early Founder's Pack will see nothing to show for their investment. the same applies to cancelled and shuttered software like Friday the 13th, the PlayStation exclusive Concord (shut down after a horrible launch, which did lead to refunds for customers), and another Ubisoft title, XDefiant.

Now, as a counterpoint, caveat emptor. the onus does land with the consumer to make well educated purchases that suits their budget. But many of these companies are looking for ways to part their player base with their money to maximize profits. Will the field ever govern itself? How long should a video game last before players are content with the road of content available?

SOURCE: The Independent