The EU will not mandate that publishers maintain the playability of games, yet the struggle against the termination of games is not finished.

      The Commission has turned down the proposal, but the Digital Fairness Act may provide a way forward.

      The European Commission has responded to the Stop Killing Games movement with a decision that is expected to disappoint many of its supporters. The regulator states that it cannot mandate publishers to keep video games playable once they are taken off the market, but it plans to collaborate with industry associations and consumer organizations to establish a voluntary code of conduct for managing the end of a game's lifecycle.

      This decision comes after months of advocacy from consumer groups and game preservationists who contend that publishers should not be allowed to make purchased games unusable once support ceases.

      According to the Commission, current copyright and intellectual property laws inhibit it from imposing a legal requirement that would obligate publishers to maintain the playability of discontinued games.

      Instead, the regulator indicates that it will concentrate on increasing awareness of existing consumer rights and promoting more robust enforcement of those protections. The Commission also hinted that this might motivate publishers to provide longer support durations and clearer plans for the discontinuation of online games.

      Stop Killing Games was initiated by YouTuber Ross Scott in 2024 after Ubisoft's closure of The Crew, which rendered the online racing game completely unplayable for customers who had purchased it.

      The campaign does not call for publishers to keep servers running indefinitely. Instead, it advocates for games to remain in a playable state when official support concludes, whether through offline modes, private servers, or other alternatives that allow customers to continue using what they have bought.

      The movement garnered enough support through the European Citizens' Initiative process to prompt a formal reply from the European Commission.

      Ross Scott mentioned that the Commission’s response was largely anticipated, but he believes it still leaves crucial questions regarding the responsibilities of publishers when ceasing support for games that consumers own.

      He pointed out that the campaign's next chance might arise with the upcoming Digital Fairness Act from the EU, which could facilitate stronger consumer protections concerning digital ownership. Scott also observed that the initiative continues to receive backing within the European Parliament, while similar movements addressing game shutdowns are gaining momentum in the United States.

      Although the European Commission remains a significant hurdle, Scott asserts that the campaign is far from over. Supporters are now concentrating on the next chance to advocate for stronger protections for digital purchases.

      Meanwhile, two of the most acclaimed titles in the Call of Duty series are making their way to modern PlayStation consoles.

      Treyarch has confirmed that the original Call of Duty: Black Ops and Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 will soon be available on contemporary PlayStation systems for the first time. While Treyarch has not explicitly specified the target platforms, various reports and backend findings suggest the games are being set up as native PlayStation 4 releases, which will also be playable on PlayStation 5 through backward compatibility.

      Epic Games has unveiled Unreal Engine 5.8, which marks the last major release planned in the UE5 series. The update introduces an experimental plugin that integrates large language model (LLM) support directly into the engine, along with a suite of new tools for worldbuilding, rendering, animation, and virtual production.

      Roblox has also launched age-based accounts for children, complete with enhanced parental controls. Roblox Kids and Roblox Select accounts have now been rolled out globally, following a limited pilot in Australia, Indonesia, the Netherlands, and New Zealand last month. These account types are specifically designed for users under 16, aiming to ensure that child safety measures adapt as the child grows rather than remain fixed.