You buy a game. You download it. You play it for fifty hours. Then, one Tuesday morning, the publisher decides the servers are too expensive to run, flips a switch, and your purchase evaporates. It’s gone. Not just the multiplayer—the entire thing is unlaunchable. This isn't a hypothetical "what if" scenario anymore; it's the current reality of the industry, and it's exactly why the PirateSoftware Stop Killing Games movement has exploded across the internet.
Jason Thor Hall, the lead developer at Pirate Software and a former Blizzard security expert, has become one of the most vocal advocates for this cause. He isn't just complaining on a stream. He's pushing for actual legislative change. The core of the argument is simple: if "buying" isn't "owning," then "piracy" isn't "stealing." While that's a catchy slogan, the legal reality is a tangled mess of End User License Agreements (EULAs) and digital rights management (DRM) that treats players like temporary renters rather than customers.
Why Everyone Is Talking About "The Crew" Right Now
The catalyst for this recent surge in the PirateSoftware Stop Killing Games discussion was Ubisoft’s decision to de-list and shut down The Crew.
It was a racing game. People liked it. Some people still played it. But because the game required an "always-online" connection to function—even for single-player content—Ubisoft was able to effectively "kill" the product. They didn't just stop selling it; they revoked the licenses. Imagine buying a book, and ten years later, the publisher breaks into your house and shreds the pages because they don't want to support that specific edition anymore. That's what happened here.
Thor has been relentless in pointing out that this sets a terrifying precedent. If we let a $70 billion industry get away with deleting products we paid for, we lose the concept of a "collection" entirely. We’re just paying for the privilege of being allowed to sit in a digital room until the landlord gets bored.
The Ross Scott Connection
You can't talk about this without mentioning Ross Scott from Accursed Farms. He's the guy who launched the "Stop Killing Games" website and the subsequent European Citizens' Initiative. While Thor provides the developer's perspective and the massive platform of his Twitch stream, Scott has done the heavy lifting on the bureaucratic side.
They are a two-pronged attack.
Scott’s initiative specifically targets the European Union, aiming to require publishers to leave games in a "functional state" when they stop supporting them. This doesn't mean the publisher has to pay for servers forever. It just means they need to release a patch that allows for private servers or an offline mode before they walk away. Basically, don't leave the code to rot in a vault.
The Technical Reality of "Ending" a Game
A lot of people think it’s hard to "fix" a game for offline play. It’s actually not. Not usually.
Most games have a "heartbeat" check. The client asks the server, "Hey, am I allowed to be here?" and the server says, "Yeah, you're good." To make a game playable after the servers die, developers often just need to bypass that check or allow the game to look at the local machine for that "yes."
- Publishers claim it's a security risk.
- They claim it costs too much in engineering hours.
- They claim it violates third-party licenses (like car brands or music).
Honestly? These are mostly excuses. If a game like Gran Turismo or The Crew can't be played because a music license expired, that's a failure in the original contract, not a technical impossibility. The PirateSoftware Stop Killing Games stance is that if you can't guarantee the product will work, you shouldn't be allowed to sell it as a perpetual purchase. Label it a subscription. Be honest about it.
The Legal Gray Area of Digital Ownership
The law is stuck in 1995.
Most consumer protection laws were written for physical goods. If you buy a toaster, the company can't remotely explode it because they released a "Toaster 2.0." But digital goods are governed by licenses. When you click "I Accept" on that 50-page EULA, you’re often signing away your right to actually own the software.
Thor has repeatedly highlighted that these EULAs are often unenforceable or legally shaky in certain jurisdictions, but because no one has the money to take EA or Ubisoft to the Supreme Court, the companies keep pushing the boundary. The PirateSoftware Stop Killing Games movement wants to codify ownership so that "license" doesn't mean "temporary permission at the whim of a CEO."
Is This Just About Nostalgia?
No.
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It’s about historical preservation. Games are art. They’re culture. If we allow games to be "killed," we are essentially allowing the burning of digital libraries. Think about the thousands of man-hours that go into creating the assets, the code, and the world-building of a modern AAA title. To let that vanish because a quarterly earnings report looked a bit thin is a tragedy for the medium.
What PirateSoftware Wants You to Do
Thor isn't just asking for likes. He wants movement. He wants people to realize that their silence is interpreted as consent by these massive corporations.
The strategy is focused on several fronts. First, there's the legal pressure. If you're in the UK or the EU, there are active petitions and government responses happening right now. In the US, it’s a bit tougher because our consumer protection is... well, it's not great. But even here, the FTC is starting to look at "Right to Repair" and digital ownership.
Second, it's about voting with your wallet.
If a game has an "always-online" requirement for a single-player campaign, don't buy it. Support developers who explicitly state their games will work forever. Support the indies. This is why Thor’s own studio, Pirate Software, focuses so heavily on transparency. He wants to show that you can be successful without shackling your players to a server that will eventually be turned off.
The Industry Pushback
Of course, the big players aren't happy.
They argue that these regulations would stifle innovation. They say that if they have to plan for a "post-end-of-life" patch during development, it adds costs that make games even more expensive.
But look at the profit margins of these companies. They are making billions. The idea that adding a "local server" toggle would bankrupt Ubisoft is laughable. It’s not about the money; it’s about control. They want you to move on to the sequel. They want you to buy the next Battle Pass. If you can still play the old game you love, you might not spend $70 on the new one that’s 80% the same thing.
Practical Steps to Protect Your Library
You don't have to wait for the law to change to take action. There are things you can do right now to align with the PirateSoftware Stop Killing Games philosophy and protect your hobby.
Support DRM-Free Platforms
GOG (Good Old Games) is the gold standard here. When you buy a game on GOG, you can download an offline installer. You can put that on a thumb drive, throw it in a drawer, and 20 years from now, you can install it on a computer that has never seen the internet. It will work. Steam is great for convenience, but it is still a layer of DRM.
Check "Does it Play" Databases
Before buying a new release, check if it requires an online connection for the core experience. There are community-driven sites that track which games are "dead" or have "kill switches."
Sign the Petitions (If Eligible)
If you are a resident of the EU or the UK, your signature on the official government portals actually carries weight. These aren't Change.org petitions that go nowhere; these are formal requests for legislative review.
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Back Up Your Data
If you have games that allow for local saves or private server hosting, keep those files safe. The community is often the only thing that keeps a game alive after the publisher abandons it. Look at games like Star Wars Galaxies or City of Heroes. They only exist today because fans saved the data and reverse-engineered the server code.
The Future of the Movement
The PirateSoftware Stop Killing Games campaign is a marathon, not a sprint. We are looking at years of legal battles and lobbying. But for the first time, the conversation has moved from "salty Reddit threads" to the desks of lawmakers.
Thor’s influence is massive because he bridges the gap between the technical "how it works" and the consumer "why it sucks." He can explain the backend architecture of a server check and then immediately explain why that check is a middle finger to the person who paid for the game.
We are reaching a tipping point. As more games like The Crew, Overwatch 1, and Babylon's Fall disappear into the void, more players are waking up. The industry's current model is unsustainable because it relies on the goodwill of consumers who are tired of being treated like subscribers for products they supposedly bought.
What You Should Do Next
The most effective thing you can do right now is to educate yourself on the specifics of the games you buy. Look at the store page. Does it say "Internet Connection Required" for a single-player game? If so, think twice.
- Visit the StopKillingGames.com website to see the current status of legal actions in your country.
- If you are in the EU, check the status of the European Citizens' Initiative regarding digital ownership.
- Spread the word. Most casual gamers don't even know their games can be taken away. They assume that if it's on their hard drive, it's theirs. Explaining the reality of "kill switches" is the first step toward building a consumer base that demands better.
- Support developers who prioritize longevity. When a studio goes out of its way to patch out DRM or add an offline mode, reward them with your business and tell them why you're doing it.
This isn't just about video games. It's about the future of all digital media. If we lose the fight for games, movies and books are next. Ownership shouldn't be a legacy concept; it should be a fundamental right of the consumer.
Stop letting them kill the games you love.