California Assembly Approves Landmark "Protect Our Games" Act

June 2, 2026 - 09:45

The California State Assembly has passed Assembly Bill 1921, known as the Protect Our Games Act, in a landmark decision aimed at preserving access to purchased video games. The bill, which cleared the assembly with bipartisan support, targets a growing practice among game publishers who disable online functionality or entire game libraries after ending support for older titles.

Under AB 1921, game companies that sell digital games in California must maintain reasonable access to those products, even after official support ends. This includes preserving the ability to launch single-player campaigns and core features that consumers paid for. The legislation does not require publishers to keep multiplayer servers running indefinitely, but it does mandate that games remain playable in some form.

Supporters of the bill argue that consumers are increasingly buying digital games that can vanish overnight when a company decides to shut down servers or revoke licenses. Critics, however, warn that the law could impose heavy costs on smaller developers and may conflict with existing copyright and licensing agreements.

The bill now moves to the California State Senate for further debate. If signed into law, California would become the first U.S. state to enact such consumer protections for digital game ownership. The gaming industry is closely watching the process, as similar measures have been proposed in other states and countries.