UK Government Declines to Strengthen Consumer Protections for Live Service Games

Officials state existing laws are sufficient despite growing consumer concerns over the disabling of purchased digital games.

A petition calling for stronger consumer protections against the disabling of live service games reached over 10,000 signatures, prompting a government response.
The UK government announced it has no plans to amend existing consumer laws, citing sufficient protections under the Consumer Rights Act 2015 and other regulations.
Officials acknowledged concerns regarding the lifespan of digital content but emphasized that software companies are not legally required to support older products.
The government suggested consumers can take complaints about misleading practices to Trading Standards or the Competition and Market Authority for investigation.
Recent cases, such as Ubisoft's delisting of 'The Crew' and Warner Bros.' decision to take 'MultiVersus' offline, highlight ongoing frustrations among players over game discontinuations.