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Stop Killing Games Movement Reaches 1.4 million. But Is It Enough?
Your Gaming News For The Week
Greg Stokes
21 Jul • Estimated Reading Time: 11 minutes
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GAMING NEWS
“Stop Killing Games” Reaches 1.4 Million Signatures
With over 1.4 million signatures, the EU-initiated petition of Stop Killing Games continues to march ahead with an increased likelihood of the EU Commission investigating the matter. The goal of the Stop Killing Games movement is to force developers and publishers to make offline modes for live service style games once they go offline.
Ubisoft is notorious for making their games unplayable once service has ended, even for their paid games like The Crew, and demanding that consumers destroy and delete all copies of their unsupported games in their TOS. Needless to say, this has only fueled the pushback from gamers.
Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot has chimed in on the matter, stating:
“The lifespan of a piece of software, whenever there’s a service component, eventually services may be discontinued, because eventually the software may become obsolete over time. A lot of tools become obsolete 10 or 15 years down the line. They’re no longer available. And that is why we release a new version. And so we have version two and then version three. But clearly this is a far-reaching issue, and we are working on it.”
Guillemot is holding firm in his view of continuing to let games become unplayable at their end of their life, regardless of the monetary investment made by gamers over the years to keep them alive.
Live-service games have been a point of contention since their rise in the battle royale genre. While most are free to play, for many they wind up being an expensive investment costing more than a single game. With no single-player options available, and games shutting off services sometimes after just six years, it has become a serious issue that needs addressing.
If you want to learn more about the Stop Killing Games movement, you can check it out here.
ANTHEM Game Servers Will Shut Down January 12th, 2026
In a very unwelcome move by EA the game ANTHEM will be shutting off its servers next year making the game effectively unplayable. This means anyone with a physical copy of the game will no longer be able to use it. In a move similar to what Ubisoft did with the The Crew, gamers have taken to the internet to voice their concerns and complaints about major studios charging full price for games only to end support, or shut them down completely less than 10 years later. You can read the official update from EA below:
Hi everyone,
We have an important update to share regarding Anthem. After careful consideration, we will be sunsetting Anthem on January 12, 2026. This means that the game will still be playable online for the next 180+ days. As of today, you can no longer purchase in-game premium currency, but you can still use your remaining balance until the servers go offline.
We deeply appreciate your dedication, passion and support over the years and we’d like to thank you for that.
For additional information on Anthem, please refer to the FAQ below.
The BioWare Team
Q: How long will I have to play Anthem?
A: Game servers will be available until January 12, 2026 at which time the game will no longer be playable.
Q: Why can’t I play Anthem in offline mode?
A: Anthem was designed to be an online-only title so once the servers go offline, the game will no longer be playable.
Q: Can I still install Anthem if I had previously purchased the game?
A: Yes, if you previously purchased Anthem, the game can still be downloaded from a digital library and played until January 12, 2026.
Q: Why can I no longer purchase Anthem or in-game currency?
A: Over the course of the next 180+ days Anthem will still be playable online and you can use the last of your in-game premium currency as we prepare to sunset the game’s live servers on January 13, 2026.
Q: Will I still be able to use my in-game currency?
A: Yes, you can still use any in-game premium currency that you currently have until the game is sunset on January 12, 2026.
Q: How long will the game stay on EA Play?
A: Anthem will be removed from the EA Play playlist on August 15, 2025.
Q: Has anyone else at BioWare been affected by these changes?
A: No, the sunsetting of Anthem has not led to any layoffs.
ANTHEM was originally hailed to be the game that would dethrone Destiny 2 as the favored group looter shooter, but lack of updates, new content and subpar story saw players drop off within the first year. However it wasn’t only players that walked away but Bioware (a studio owned by EA) that also walked away effectively abandoning the game leading to it’s inevitable demise. The game has even been removed from EA’s main page.
SQUARE ENIX ANNOUNCES TEN NEW MANGA AND GAME TIE-IN BOOK RELEASES AT ANIME EXPO
English-Translated Editions of New Manga and Book Titles including A Starlit Darkness and FINAL FANTASY VII REBIRTH: Material Ultimania Available Spring 2026
LOS ANGELES (July 7, 2025) –SQUARE ENIX® announced Saturday evening at Anime Expo seven new manga series for English-language publication from the Square Enix Manga & Books imprint in Spring 2026, including a new psychological drama, A Starlit Darkness, from the bestselling creator of Cherry Magic! Thirty Years of Virginity Can Make You a Wizard?! During their Anime Expo panel, the publisher also announced details for three all-new game tie-in books for English-language publication, including FINAL FANTASY VII REBIRTH: Material Ultimania. Details for these newly announced manga and books are available, including pre-order information, at square-enix-books.com.
PLAION REPLAI, ATARI AND BANDAI NAMCO ENTERTAINMENT AMERICA INC. ANNOUNCE THE ATARI 2600+ PAC-MAN EDITION
Theale, UK 21st July 2025 14:00 BST: PLAION REPLAI, a leading global publisher and developer of retro video game software and hardware, and Atari, one of the world’s most iconic consumer brands and interactive entertainment producers, are proud to announce today that the Atari 2600+ PAC-MAN Edition – a newly developed version of the classic console – will be launching worldwide on 31st October 2025. This exciting new product also celebrates the long-standing collaboration between Atari and Bandai Namco Entertainment America Inc., with Namco being the original developer of PAC-MAN.
Watch the trailer below:
Atari 2600+ PAC-MAN Edition: This brand-new version of the iconic console comes in signature PAC-MAN yellow, featuring illuminated character icons across the front. The retail pack also includes the PAC-MAN Double Feature software cartridge and the PAC-MAN CX-40 Wireless Joystick (Yellow). The Atari 2600+ PAC-MAN Edition will be available for pre-order from Wednesday 23rd July, at Amazon, with the price being £129.99.
PAC-MAN Double Feature cartridge: This dual game cartridge includes PAC-MAN 7800, a brand new, arcade-style version of the classic, along with PAC-MAN 2600, the very first home console release of the game.
PAC-MAN CX40+ Wireless Joysticks: The PAC-MAN joysticks are available separately in five different colours - Yellow (PAC-MAN), Blue (Inky ghost), Red (Blinky ghost), Pink (Pinky ghost) and Orange (Clyde ghost); PAC-MAN CX40+ Wireless Joysticks will cost £29.99 each, and will be available to pre-order from Wednesday 23rd July.
“The Atari 2600+ PAC-MAN Edition is more than just a console - it’s a tribute to the moment home gaming truly began. By reimagining the iconic hardware in PAC-MAN’s unmistakable style, we’re celebrating the legacy of two cultural giants who helped define a generation of play. We’re proud to bring this collaboration to life for collectors, fans, and a whole new wave of retro gaming enthusiasts,” said PLAION REPLAI’s Commercial Director, Ben Jones.
The Atari 2600+ PAC-MAN Edition and PAC-MAN CX40+ Wireless Joysticks will be available for pre-order from Wednesday 23rd July at Amazon and on Atari.com, priced at £129.99 and £29.99 respectively. The release date for the Atari 2600+ PAC-MAN Edition and PAC-MAN CX40+ Wireless Joysticks will be 31st October 2025. There will also be a separate release of the PAC-MAN Double Feature cartridge later in 2025.
For more information, visit: www.atari.com.
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