U.S. Rep. Ritchie Torres plans to introduce legislation that would give gamers greater ownership rights over the video games they purchase and protect access when publishers shut down online servers.
The New York Democrat announced the Power To The Players Act on October 15. The proposal would direct the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to establish consumer protections for purchased games, including the right to transfer or resell them. It would also require publishers to provide offline functionality before shutting down servers.
Currently, buying a digital game through PlayStation, Xbox, Steam, or other storefronts generally means purchasing a license rather than owning the software outright. Publishers can restrict resale, require online authentication, and discontinue services that some games need to function.
“When you pay for a game, you should own it,” Torres said.
Why Game Ownership Is Controversial
The debate comes down to whether publishers should be allowed to make games unplayable after customers have paid for them.
Ubisoft’s shutdown of The Crew in 2024 brought the issue into the spotlight. The online-only racing game stopped functioning when its servers closed, leaving customers unable to play their purchased copies. The controversy helped fuel the Stop Killing Games campaign, which calls for stronger protections against making purchased games permanently unplayable.
Supporters argue that customers should be able to keep playing games they paid for, even after official support ends. However, developers and publishers have raised concerns about the technical challenges and costs of maintaining or converting online-only games to work without company servers.
Digital resale is another sticking point. Unlike physical games, digital purchases are generally tied to accounts and cannot be resold or transferred. Changing those restrictions could affect how publishers and storefronts distribute and sell games.
NBA 2K25 Is Next
Torres also pointed to NBA 2K25, released in September 2024, which is scheduled to be removed from digital storefronts on October 30, 2026. Its online servers will shut down December 31, ending access to popular modes including MyCAREER and MyTEAM.
According to 2K’s shutdown announcement, owners will still be able to download the game and play offline modes such as Play Now and MyNBA. However, online multiplayer, community sharing, and other connected features will no longer be available.
Unlike The Crew, NBA 2K25 won’t become completely unplayable, but players will lose access to several features they originally purchased.
What Happens Next?
As of October 16, Torres has announced plans to introduce the bill, but it has not been formally introduced in Congress. The complete legislative text has not been released, leaving questions about how the rules would apply to multiplayer-only games and existing purchases.
The proposal would need congressional approval before becoming law, followed by FTC regulations establishing how the ownership protections would work.
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