Pro-Gamer Consumer Movement 'Stop Killing Games' Will Launch NGOs in America and the EU

Source: Slashdot

Background

The consumer movement Stop Killing Games has grown significantly since YouTuber Ross Scott protested Ubisoft’s shutdown of The Crew in 2024 (PC Gamer). The petition gathered 1.3 million signatures, surpassing the threshold required for formal consideration by the European Union (PC Gamer – petition count).

Ubisoft’s CEO Yves Guillemot responded that “nothing is forever” (PC Gamer – CEO response), and the company pledged never to repeat such actions (PC Gamer – promise). Ubisoft later added an offline mode to The Crew 2 (Engadget).

NGO Launch

On Thursday, PC Gamer reported that Ross Scott announced the creation of two official NGOs—one based in the European Union and one in the United States (PC Gamer – NGO announcement).

What is an NGO?

A non‑governmental organization (NGO) is an entity that pursues specific goals—often political or humanitarian—while operating independently of direct government control. Well‑known examples include Oxfam, Doctors Without Borders, Amnesty International, and CARE International.

Goals and Activities

• Long‑term counter‑lobbying – The NGOs aim to influence policy when publishers discontinue support for video games (Engadget).
• Watchdog functions – Plans include establishing multilingual sites with clear instructions for reporting game shutdowns to consumer‑protection agencies, and creating a system for reporting publishers that revoke access to purchased games.
• Legal work – The campaign leadership is preparing a 500‑page legal paper detailing controversial industry practices and intends to codify the original petition into EU law.
• Global expansion – While details are still emerging, the NGOs are reportedly exploring a “global movement” to extend Stop Killing Games’ presence beyond the EU and US.

“Let me start off by saying I think we’re going to win this, namely the problem of publishers destroying video games that you’ve already paid for,” Scott said in the announcement video.

The NGOs will soon meet with the European Commission to discuss these initiatives.