CALIFORNIA — The California Assembly's appropriations committee approved the Protect Our Games Act on an 11–2 vote, advancing legislation that would require digital game publishers who end support for an online game to either refund players in full or provide an updated version that functions independently of the operator's services. The measure had previously received positive votes from the Assembly's Privacy and Consumer Protection committee and Judiciary committee.

Under the bill, publishers would be required to notify players 60 days before ceasing services necessary for the ordinary use of a digital game. The legislation does not apply to completely free games or to games offered solely for the duration of a subscription. Any game offered for sale in California on or after January 1, 2027, would be subject to the law if it passes.

The bill has not yet secured majority passage in the full California Assembly or the California Senate and would need to be sent to Governor Gavin Newsom for signature. Assemblyman Chris Ward first introduced the Protect Our Games Act earlier this year.

The UK-based player advocacy group Stop Killing Games, which advised on the drafting of the bill before it was introduced, was formed after the 2024 shutdown of Ubisoft's The Crew. In a formal statement, the group said: "There is no other medium in which a product can be marketed and sold to a consumer and then ripped away without notice. As live service games rise in popularity for game developers and gamers alike, end-of-life procedures are essential tools to ensure prolonged access to the games consumers pay to enjoy."

Monitz Katzner, a supporter involved in the drafting process, addressed the bill's progress in a Reddit post. "Back shortly before Christmas, when I flew to the US to help set up SKG-US, I didn't expect us to get this far this quickly. It has been an honor to take part in drafting this bill on behalf of the SKG community: gamers, developers, and publishers alike." Katzner wrote.

The Entertainment Software Association said the bill misrepresents how modern game distribution works. "Consumers receive a license to access and use a game, not an unrestricted ownership interest in the underlying work," the ESA said. The group said a legal requirement to keep games playable indefinitely could place publishers in an impossible position, forcing them to renegotiate licenses indefinitely or alter games in ways that may not be legally or technically feasible.