California's Stop Killing Games Bill AB 1921 Passes Assembly 43–16 — What It Means

The Law That Could End Server Shutdowns Is Moving Fast

It started when Ubisoft shut down The Crew in 2024 — permanently erasing access for every player who had purchased the game. Now, two years later, the movement that emerged from that moment has cleared one of its biggest legislative hurdles.

On May 27, 2026, the California State Assembly passed AB 1921, the Protect Our Games Act, by a vote of 43 to 16. The bill — authored by Assemblymember Chris Ward and backed by the Stop Killing Games movement — now moves to the California State Senate.

Timeline

What AB 1921 Actually Requires

The bill applies to server-dependent paid games first sold or re-released on or after January 1, 2027.

What publishers must do

1. 1Provide 60 days' advance notice before ending service (in-game + official website)
2. 2Notice must include: shutdown date, affected services, unavailable features, security risks, and how to continue use or get a refund

1. 1After shutdown, provide at least one of the following:

- (A) A standalone version of the game that works without publisher servers

- (B) A patch enabling continued play without publisher-controlled infrastructure

- (C) A full refund equal to the original purchase price

Exemptions

• ▶Free-to-play games
• ▶Subscription-based titles
• ▶Games already permanently playable offline

What Each Side Is Saying

Stop Killing Games / Supporters

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"If your car's GPS subscription ends, the provider shouldn't get to remotely disable your car." — Stop Killing Games

Assemblymember Chris Ward explained what motivated the bill:

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"The idea came to me from a constituent in San Diego who is tired of seeing their game shut down after recent purchases. So if you live in California, be sure to contact your state senator and tell them as a gamer or developer why you care." — Chris Ward, Assemblymember

European Parliament Vice Chair Nils Ušakovs on the EU initiative:

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"This is a concern for probably hundreds of millions of European citizens." — Nils Ušakovs, EU Parliament

ESA (Entertainment Software Association) / Opposition

The ESA has been the primary opponent of AB 1921, arguing in a May 2026 letter:

• ▶"Could force developers to spend limited time and resources keeping old systems running instead of creating new games"
• ▶"Licensed content (music, brands) makes compliance technically impossible"
• ▶"Creates perpetual rights obligations in violation of copyright law"

Stop Killing Games systematically rebutted all three arguments within 24 hours:

• ▶The bill does not require perpetual server support — only a way to keep the game functional
• ▶Games with expired licenses (Forza Horizon 4, Star Trek Resurgence) remain playable after being pulled from sale
• ▶The Crew 2 itself built and shipped an offline mode after servers ended

Stop Killing Games stated they had "beaten the ESA three separate times" in the California legislative process.

Community Reaction

The bill's passage has generated significant attention across gaming communities. A Bellular News YouTube breakdown of the bill reached 213,000 views, reflecting the broad audience following the story.

The dominant sentiment across r/gaming, r/pcgaming, and gaming Twitter is supportive: "the most important consumer protection fight in gaming history," and "publishers have been getting away with this for too long."

A smaller contingent of industry-aligned voices warns that the refund provision could become financially catastrophic for live-service publishers facing unexpected shutdowns — and that the narrow scope of the bill's "ordinary use" language will likely be litigated.

What Comes Next

The bill is not retroactive. Games already shut down (The Crew, Anthem, Concord) are unaffected. Only games first sold or re-released after January 1, 2027 fall under the law.

The European Parallel

The Stop Killing Games effort is running simultaneously in Europe under the name "Stop Destroying Videogames."

• ▶EU Commission formal response deadline: July 27, 2026 (Commissioner McGrath suggested a response as early as June 16)
• ▶European Parliament hearing: completed April 16, 2026
• ▶Cross-party support confirmed at EU Parliament plenary session (May 21, 2026)
• ▶Integration with the upcoming Digital Fairness Act is being actively discussed

The UK Parliament debated a related petition signed by 189,887 people in November 2025.

Why California Matters Globally

California is home to EA, Activision Blizzard, Riot Games, and hundreds of other major studios. A state-level law there tends to set the operational baseline for the entire US — and often the world — because publishers find it simpler to apply a single global policy than region-specific end-of-life frameworks.

If AB 1921 passes and takes effect on January 1, 2027, it would become the first law in the United States requiring publishers to ensure purchased games remain functional after server support ends.

GamePeak Summary

The bottom line: You bought a game. The publisher should not be legally permitted to destroy it.

That principle — simple, intuitive, difficult to argue against directly — is what has driven AB 1921 through every committee hurdle despite one of the largest lobbying organizations in the industry fighting against it.

The California Senate is the next battleground. The EU Commission's formal response arrives by July 27. If either front delivers a concrete result, the entire structure of how publishers end game support will need to change.

GamePeak will continue tracking both fronts.