Prohibit publishers irrevocably disabling video games they have already sold
The Parliament petitions site records 189,887 signatures for this petition, which closed on 14 July 2025. The Government responded on 3 February 2025. MPs debated it in Westminster Hall on 4 November 2025.
The petition
The petition's creator is not named in the Petitions site's published record. Quoted in full from the UK Parliament petitions site.
Prohibit publishers irrevocably disabling video games they have already sold
The government should update consumer law to prohibit publishers from disabling video games (and related game assets / features) they have already sold without recourse for customers to retain or repair them. We seek this as a statutory consumer right.
Most video games sold can work indefinitely, but some have design elements that render the product non-functional at a time which the publisher controls, with no date provided at sale. We see this as a form of planned obsolescence, as customers can be deprived of their purchase and cannot retain or repair the game. We think this practice is hostile to consumers, entirely preventable, and have concerns existing laws do not address the problem. Thus, we believe government intervention is needed.
The Government's response
The Government published its response on 3 February 2025; the petitions site lists the Department for Culture, Media and Sport as responsible. Its summary:
There are no plans to amend UK consumer law on disabling video games. Those selling games must comply with existing requirements in consumer law and we will continue to monitor this issue.
The opening 390 words of the 813-word response:
The Government recognises concerns raised by video games users regarding the operability of purchased products. As the lead department for video games, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) regularly engages industry representatives and monitors how consumers interact with games. We work with the Department for Business and Trade (DBT) as the lead department for consumer protection more generally.
We are aware of issues relating to the life-span of digital content, including video games, and we appreciate the concerns of players of some games that have been discontinued. We have no plans to amend existing consumer law on digital obsolescence, but we will monitor this issue and consider the relevant work of the Competition and Market Authority (CMA) on consumer rights and consumer detriment.
Video games sellers must comply with existing consumer law – this includes the Consumer Rights Act 2015 (CRA) and Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008 (CPRs). We have provided details of relevant protections below. However, there is no requirement in UK law for software companies to support older versions of their products. Decision-making is for those companies, taking account of commercial and regulatory factors and complying with existing consumer law. There may be occasions where companies make decisions based on the high running costs of maintaining older servers for games with declining user bases.
The CRA gives consumers important rights when they make a contract with a trader for the supply of digital content, requiring it to be of satisfactory quality, fit for a particular purpose and as described by the seller. It may be difficult and expensive for businesses to maintain support for old software, particularly if it needs to interact with new technologies. However, if software is offered for sale that is not supported by the provider, then this should be made clear, for example on product webpages and physical packaging.
If digital content does not meet these quality rights, the consumer is entitled to a repair or replacement or, if not possible, some money back up to 100% of the cost of the digital content. These rights apply to intangible digital content like a PC game, as well as tangible content like a physical copy of a game. The CRA has a limit of up to six years after a breach of contract during which a consumer can take legal action.
Read the full response on the petitions site.
Where the signatures came from
Signatures came from 650 constituencies. Measured against each constituency's electorate at the 2024 general election, the most came from Dundee Central, with 9.1 signatures per 1,000 electors (676 in all).
185,353 of the signatures were from the UK and 4,534 from elsewhere, by the location signers gave.
| Constituency | Signatures | Electorate, July 2024 | Per 1,000 electors |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dundee Central | 676 | 74,221 | 9.1 |
| Cambridge | 551 | 70,321 | 7.8 |
| Sheffield Central | 449 | 60,594 | 7.4 |
| Plymouth Sutton and Devonport | 538 | 75,313 | 7.1 |
| Cities of London and Westminster | 505 | 73,369 | 6.9 |
| Edinburgh North and Leith | 531 | 78,411 | 6.8 |
| Lincoln | 492 | 72,315 | 6.8 |
| Norwich South | 520 | 76,296 | 6.8 |
| Edinburgh East and Musselburgh | 513 | 76,188 | 6.7 |
| Brighton Pavilion | 481 | 74,786 | 6.4 |
| Region | Signatures |
|---|---|
| South East | 26,929 |
| North West | 20,202 |
| London | 18,980 |
| Scotland | 18,307 |
| East of England | 17,810 |
| South West | 17,625 |
| West Midlands | 14,993 |
| Yorkshire and The Humber | 14,776 |
| East Midlands | 13,889 |
| Wales | 8,988 |
| North East | 7,444 |
| Northern Ireland | 4,283 |
Debate in Parliament
MPs debated the petition in Westminster Hall on 4 November 2025. Read the debate in Hansard. House of Commons Library debate pack.
Source and receipt
- https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/702074.jsonUK Parliament Petitions API · read 2026-10-15 · SHA-256
898e016fdb25c038… - The petition on petition.parliament.uk
The petition's words are its creator's and the response is the Government's; this site quotes both and gives no view on either. Signature counts can still change while a petition is open. To report an error, send a correction request.