Could your favorite video game disappear overnight?

Today. Consequently, whether you buy an online video game on the App Store, Google Play Store or PlayStation Store, or you buy it in physical form, you get what is called a user license. Nevertheless, A license, in law, is an authorization granted by the publisher to use his game. Therefore, This does not mean that you have the work in itself. In addition, because the game remains protected by the law on copyright of Canada (LDA). Therefore, You only get a key access key, and like any contract, this key is subject to certain conditions. Consequently, These can allow publishers to revoke your access, or even require the destruction of your copy.

The Crewfrom Ubisoft: a case that raises concerns – Could your favorite video game

What is the problem? Therefore, Some video games require a permanent connection to the Internet and the editor’s servers, even for games mainly played could your favorite video game alone. Meanwhile, So, if the publisher decides to close its servers, it becomes impossible for players to continue accessing the game purchased.

In 2024, Ubisoft closed the servers of his racing game The Crewreleased in 2014, thus revoking the players’ licenses. This decision prevented players from accessing the game and all their progress. Although Aubisoft has warned them of the closure of the servers. offered reimbursements to recent buyers, the players’ community has expressed dissatisfaction, judging this abusive and worrying practice. The publishers. on the other hand, believe that maintaining access indefinitely would impose them obligations which would be costly and which could undermine their copyright.

Players are mobilizing on several continents – Could your favorite video game

In response to these servers closings. a European citizen initiative called “Stop Killing Games” has gathered around 1.4 million signatures to date, which potentially fulfills the criteria necessary to force the European Union to look into the subject. This initiative wants could your favorite video game to oblige publishers to facilitate continuous access to the games after the servers stop. without requiring their active participation. For example. players could create their own servers, or the EU could prohibit the need for continuous connection to access the game.

In California. a collective action against Ubisoft for stopping the game The Crew drew media attention and supported the “Stop Killing Games” movement. However, this action was abandoned on June 13, 2025, without any other notable citizen initiative in the United States.

In Canada, a petition similar to that presented in Europe was deposited in 2024 with the Canadian Parliament, with 8,816 signatures. This petition aimed to impose on publishers the obligation to keep their games accessible, even without connection to their servers. François-Philippe Champagne. former Minister of Innovation, Sciences and Industry, recognized the merits of concerns, but said that the provinces would be better placed to legislate concerning consumer protection, could your favorite video game in particular on the sale of goods and contracts related to this type of trade.

Few changes in sight in Canada

The main difficulty comes from the LDA which strongly protects the rights of the authors. by allowing them to control the granting of licenses. Added to this is the complex sharing of skills between the federal. the provinces, which makes any legislative intervention more difficult. Although the Civil Code of Quebec. the Consumer Protection Act (LPC) offer certain protections against deceptive advertisements or abusive clauses, the concrete application of these provisions in the context of video game licenses remains uncertain. Thus, without legislative action or major reinterpretation of case law, Canadian players should not expect a concrete short -term change.

An upcoming debate?

The European initiative “Stop Killing Games”. if it ends, could initiate a debate similar to Canada by drawing attention to the increasingly common practice of granting revocable licenses for digital could your favorite video game products. This collective awareness would encourage the reflection of the balance between the protection of copyright. the interest of consumers to really have the copies of the games for which they pay.

In a digital context where the very notion of property evolves quickly. this reflection could become essential, since after all, if you paid $ 80 to use a video game, should it really be able to disappear overnight?

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