California bill would require patches or refunds when online games shut down

5 hours ago

A California bill requiring online game publishers to either offer refunds or an offline-compatible update when discontinuing support has passed committee.
The Protect Our Games Act mandates 60-day advance notice before shutting down necessary game services, effective for games sold from 2027.
Exemptions apply to free games and subscription-only games; the bill is backed by Stop Killing Games and faces opposition from industry lobbyists.
Stop Killing Games, formed after Ubisoft's The Crew shutdown, assisted in drafting the legislation, seeing the committee vote as a major advocacy win.

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