The gaming community's fight against the premature shutdown of online multiplayer titles has reached a critical milestone. The Stop Killing Games petition, initiated by YouTuber Ross Scott, has surged to 820,000 signatures as players worldwide protest Ubisoft's controversial delisting of The Crew. This grassroots movement seeks to establish legal protections against what many consider digital abandonment by publishers.

Modern gaming faces an existential crisis as server-dependent titles vanish without recourse. When publishers sunset underperforming games like the original Call of Duty: Warzone, entire communities lose access to purchased content. This practice raises fundamental questions about digital ownership in an era where games can disappear from history with a single corporate decision.

Electronic Arts exemplifies this troubling trend, having terminated 61 game servers in just two years. Their pattern of discontinuations demonstrates how corporate priorities often override consumer rights in the digital gaming space.

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Ross Scott's European initiative frames game shutdowns as 'planned obsolescence,' arguing they violate consumer protection principles. The petition demands governments recognize purchased games as durable goods, not temporary services. With formal complaints already filed in France, Germany, and Australia, the movement now awaits regulatory responses.

The campaign's rapid growth - needing just 180,000 more signatures to trigger EU consideration - reflects mounting frustration. As Scott notes, modern games are deliberately designed to become 'completely unplayable' when publishers withdraw support, transforming purchased products into ephemeral experiences.

Ubisoft's handling of The Crew serves as the movement's rallying point. Despite positive reception (scoring 7/10 on Game Rant's scale), the racing title's shutdown exemplifies how even successful games aren't immune to corporate decisions. The petition argues such actions should require consumer compensation or alternative access solutions.

As digital storefronts like Steam and PlayStation Store continue selling games with expiration dates, the Stop Killing Games movement challenges the industry to prioritize preservation. With physical copies becoming increasingly rare (still available at Amazon and Walmart), the petition highlights the urgent need for legal safeguards in our digital gaming future.