California wants to stop publishers from killing online games, and it just made some progress

California lawmakers advanced the Protect Our Games Act, a bill aimed at stopping paid online games from becoming unplayable after purchase.

The proposal would require publishers to keep qualifying games playable, offer an offline version, or provide refunds for titles released after Jan. 1, 2027.

The push gained traction after backlash over Ubisoft shutting down The Crew, a move that helped fuel the Stop Killing Games movement.

Industry groups including the ESA say the requirements could be costly and impractical, and may clash with existing licensing and copyright rules.