Stop Killing Games: Ross Scott’s Last Stand for Game Preservation

In a world where your favorite game can vanish overnight, Ross Scott, the YouTuber behind Accursed Farms, is making one final plea: “Stop Killing Games.” After nearly a year of spearheading a movement to legally protect digital games from being deleted or deactivated, the initiative faces its most critical deadline—and perhaps, its last.

From Ubisoft’s controversial delisting of The Crew to broader issues of DRM, server shutdowns, and lost purchases, this campaign has exposed a massive flaw in the digital age: we don’t own what we buy.

What Is the “Stop Killing Games” Initiative?

Started in response to Ubisoft killing support for The Crew, Ross Scott launched the Stop Killing Games initiative to demand better digital ownership rights for consumers. His mission? To prevent companies from erasing access to games we pay for, especially single-player titles that rely on external servers.

“Companies just started taking away your purchases, nobody stopped them, and it slowly got normalised.” – Ross Scott, PC Gamer interview

The Goals:

• Legally protect digital game access for buyers.

• Require expiration timelines or post-shutdown access options.

• Prevent games from being removed without recourse.

The Final Deadlines: July 3 (EU), July 14 (UK)

Despite nearly a year of campaigning, the initiative is 500,000 signatures short of its goal in the EU Citizens’ Initiative. The UK parliamentary petition is also nearing its July 14 deadline.

Scott admits he’s exhausted—and after July, he’s officially done.

“I saw this as my only shot… I took it to the best of my ability. That wasn’t good enough.”

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What’s at Stake for Gamers?

The digital ecosystem has normalized a dangerous trend: games being shut down and delisted permanently. That includes:

• Multiplayer-only games with no offline fallback.

• DRM-protected titles tied to always-online platforms.

• Games removed from stores due to license expiration.

Real-World Examples:

• The Crew (Ubisoft) – gone permanently.

• GTA Trilogy Remaster – replaced original versions.

• Final Fantasy VII: The First Soldier – shut down within a year.

These shutdowns hurt more than nostalgia—they rob ownership, affect preservation, and threaten gaming history.

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The Ross Scott vs PirateSoftware Drama

Interestingly, the campaign’s momentum was disrupted by misinformation—from PirateSoftware, another YouTuber and game developer who popularized the phrase “Stop Killing Games” earlier this year.

Scott, however, has publicly corrected PirateSoftware’s misrepresentation of the initiative.

“It’s not about preserving every game forever… We’re not asking that. It’s written on the website from day one.”

Scott’s frustration was clear in a 30-minute takedown video, where he addressed factual inaccuracies in PirateSoftware’s explanation, including the MS Paint visual that erroneously framed the movement as unrealistic.

Why This Fight Matters for You

Ross Scott frames the legal loophole bluntly:

“If you’re a gamer, it’ll be codified into law that you are consumer chattel that doesn’t deserve to keep what you buy.”

What’s Broken Today:

• Steam and Epic enforce non-transferable libraries.

• Cloud gaming offers no control over access.

• EULAs ban transfers after death—you can’t will your games to someone.

What Happens If the Initiative Fails?

• No legal mandate for publishers to disclose shutdowns.

• No fallback requirement for delisted games.

• Courts will take “no action = no problem” stance.

Community Action: What Can You Do Before July?

Even if Scott is stepping down, gamers still have time to show support:

3 Simple Actions:

• Sign the EU petition here (if you’re an EU citizen)

• Sign the UK petition (if eligible, before July 14)

• Share the campaign on social media using #StopKillingGames

You don’t need to agree with every word Scott said. But if you care about digital rights, this is the last window to demand legal clarity.

“Either the frog hops out of the pot, or it’s dead.” – Ross Scott

Also read: Prince of Persia Sands of Time Remake 2026 Update

FAQ

Q1. What is the Stop Killing Games initiative really about?
A1. It’s a campaign led by Ross Scott to make it illegal for publishers to silently delete or deactivate purchased games without providing offline options or legal notice.

Q2. How is PirateSoftware involved in Stop Killing Games?
A2. PirateSoftware helped spread awareness, but Ross Scott clarified that some of their statements misrepresented the campaign’s actual goals.

Q3. What happens after July if Stop Killing Games fails?
A3. There’ll be no legal obligation for companies to maintain access to games you’ve bought. It could set a dangerous precedent for all digital media ownership.