California’s Stop Killing Games Bill Stalls after ESA Opposes Community Servers

July 2, 2026 - 19:07

SACRAMENTO -- A California bill that would have required game publishers to keep online games playable after official server shutdowns died in committee by a single vote on Tuesday, following intense lobbying from the Entertainment Software Association. The proposed Protect Our Games Act, which aimed to force companies to release server code or allow third-party hosting when they stop supporting a title, fell short 5-4 after the ESA argued that community-run servers amount to unauthorized distribution of copyrighted software.

The narrow defeat has reignited a long-simmering debate over digital ownership and game preservation. Supporters of the bill pointed to dozens of popular online-only games that have become unplayable after their publishers pulled the plug, including titles like The Crew and Knockout City. "When you buy a game, you should be able to play it," said Assembly member Jackie Irwin, the bill's sponsor. "This vote sends a message that corporate profits matter more than consumer rights."

The ESA, which represents major publishers like Electronic Arts, Ubisoft, and Sony, countered that the legislation would force companies to expose proprietary server code, creating security risks and enabling piracy. "Community servers are not a preservation tool. They are a vector for copyright infringement," said ESA vice president Aubrey Quinn in testimony. The group also warned that the bill could discourage investment in live-service games if companies feared being forced to support them indefinitely.

Consumer advocacy groups called the vote a setback but noted that similar legislation is being considered in other states and at the federal level. "This fight is not over," said Kyle Morrison of the Digital Rights Coalition. "Gamers are tired of spending hundreds of dollars on titles that vanish overnight." The bill can be reintroduced in the next legislative session.