The California State Assembly passed the Protect Our Games Act with a 43-16 vote, sending the legislation to the state Senate for further consideration. The bill targets online game server shutdowns by requiring publishers to provide at least 60 days' notice before taking servers offline.
The California State Assembly approved the Protect Our Games Act, mandating offline access or refunds for paid games after server shutdowns.
The legislation applies exclusively to paid games released on or after January 1, 2027. It excludes free-to-play titles and subscription-based services from its requirements. Publishers must choose one of three compliance options when shutting down online features: offer a fully playable offline version, patch the game for offline play, or issue full refunds to all customers.
The bill cites specific examples of games that could be affected by server shutdowns, including Square Enix and PlatinumGames' Babylon's Fall and Ubisoft's The Crew. These titles serve as reference points for how the legislation would impact existing live-service models in the gaming industry.
Industry analysis suggests the law may shift publisher strategies toward free-to-play monetization models. Publishers could avoid offline version requirements by classifying games as free-to-play, which remain exempt from the bill's provisions. This potential outcome stems directly from the legislative exemption for non-paid titles.
Source: VideoGameChronicles