California lawmakers explore ways to preserve access to online games

May 16, 2026 - 19:05

SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- A new bill in the California legislature aims to stop video game companies from pulling the plug on their own products. The proposed legislation, called the Protect Our Games Act, would force game publishers to keep online services running for any title they have sold to the public. If passed, a company could not simply shut down a game's servers and leave players with a useless disc or download.

The move comes as more and more older games become unplayable once their developer decides the cost of maintaining servers is too high. Players who spent money on a game, sometimes hundreds of dollars including in-game purchases, suddenly find themselves locked out. The act would require publishers to either maintain the online functionality or release a patch that lets the game work offline in a playable state.

Supporters argue this is a basic consumer protection issue. When you buy a product, you should not lose access to it because the seller changes their mind. Opponents, mostly from the gaming industry, say the bill is too broad. They warn it could force companies to keep old, low-profit games running forever, which would be expensive and impractical. They also argue that many online games rely on server-side code that cannot simply be handed over to players.

The bill is still in early stages. Lawmakers are gathering testimony from both game developers and consumer rights groups. A final vote is not expected for several months. For now, the debate highlights a growing tension between digital ownership and the reality of online-only products.