California bill backs offline play
The grassroots 'Stop Killing Games' initiative is highlighting a California bill that would force publishers to offer offline modes, keep servers running after shutdowns, or provide refunds, and the push has been promoted widely in creator media (x.com). The social posts show significant engagement as the proposal gains visibility among players and creators (x.com).
A California bill moving through the Legislature would make publishers keep some bought games playable after shutdowns or give players refunds. (apcp.assembly.ca.gov) Assembly Bill 1921, introduced by Assemblymember Christopher Ward on February 12, 2026, covers “server-connected” games sold on or after January 1, 2027. The latest amended text says operators must give 60 days’ notice before ending services needed for a game’s ordinary use. (legiscan.com) (apcp.assembly.ca.gov) When support ends, the bill would require one of three outcomes: an alternate version that works without the company’s servers, a patch that makes the purchased copy work independently, or a refund equal to the full purchase price. The bill also bars publishers from selling, leasing, or distributing the game during the final two months before its declared end-of-life date. (legiscan.com) (rockpapershotgun.com) Ward’s office calls the measure the “Protect our Games Act” and says it would force companies to tell buyers how a game will function at end of life. That framing lands in a state that already passed a 2024 law requiring clearer disclosures when digital goods are sold under licenses rather than true ownership. (ward.asmdc.org) (legiscan.com) The immediate spark is a consumer fight over games that stop working when publishers switch off servers, including titles sold as full-price purchases. The Assembly Privacy and Consumer Protection Committee analysis says “always-online” design has left buyers feeling “betrayal” when access is revoked after sale. (apcp.assembly.ca.gov) The grassroots Stop Killing Games campaign said this week it supports the California bill and said it advised on drafting. Rock Paper Shotgun reported that endorsement on April 13, 2026, as creator and gaming media posts pushed the proposal to a wider audience. (rockpapershotgun.com) (dexerto.com) The committee analysis lists Stop Killing Games and Consumer Reports as supporters and the Entertainment Software Association as the bill’s opponent. If the measure clears the committee hearing scheduled for April 16, 2026, it goes next to the Assembly Judiciary Committee. (apcp.assembly.ca.gov) The bill is narrower than a blanket order to preserve every online world forever. It focuses on services “necessary for the ordinary use” of a purchased game, and the compliance options in the amended text include refunds if an offline or independent version is not provided. (legiscan.com) For players, the fight is over what “buy” means when a game depends on a company server to boot, save progress, or unlock core features. California’s answer, if AB 1921 passes, would be that a shutdown cannot be the last thing a publisher sells. (legiscan.com) (apcp.assembly.ca.gov)
