Stop Killing Games confirms over 1.29 million signatures for EU citizens’ initiative

The Stop Killing Games campaign has confirmed it secured 1,294,188 verified signatures as part of its European Citizens’ Initiative, exceeding the one million threshold required for formal consideration by the European Commission.

The final figure was announced on January 24 by campaign representative Moritz Katzner, who confirmed that the next stage will involve submitting the initiative to EU institutions in Brussels. The handover is expected to take place in mid to late February.

Sharing the update on X, Katzner said: “The final count of the European Citizens’ Initiative: Stop Destroying Video Games. The handover will take place in Brussels around mid to late February.” The post was accompanied by an image detailing the distribution of signatures across EU member states.

According to the breakdown, Germany recorded the highest number of verified signatures with 233,180, followed by France with 145,289 and Poland with 143,826. The campaign met the required national thresholds in multiple countries, allowing the initiative to proceed under EU rules.

Stop Killing Games focuses on the practice of publishers permanently disabling video games by shutting down servers or essential online infrastructure, even when titles were sold as complete products.

The campaign argues that consumers should retain access to purchased games after official support ends, either through offline functionality or legally supported alternatives.

Reaching the signature threshold does not automatically lead to new legislation. However, it obliges the European Commission to review the proposal and issue a formal response, which may include public hearings or further consultation.

The announcement follows the recent shutdown of BioWare’s live service title Anthem, which became unplayable on January 12, 2026, after its servers were taken offline, a case frequently cited by campaign supporters.