New bill: you'd own the games you buy

A New York congressman has announced a bill that would make video game buyers owners, not just license holders. It would also make publishers add an offline mode before shutting down servers. The bill has not been formally introduced yet, so nothing changes for players today.

What happened

A Democratic congressman from New York announced the Power to the Players Act on 15 October 2026, Engadget reports. At the time of that article, the bill had not been introduced in Congress.

According to Engadget, the bill would direct the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to make sure players own their games instead of licensing them. It would also require companies to offer an offline mode when a game's servers are shut down.

KeenGamer adds that the bill would apply to all video games sold in the United States. It quotes the congressman as saying consumers must have "the right to own, the right to play, and the right to transfer the games they buy." It also says he calls these games "a rental disguised as a sale."

Key facts

• The bill is called the Power to the Players Act and was announced on 15 October 2026 (per Engadget).
• It is not yet introduced in Congress. If it is, the House and Senate would both still need to pass it (KeenGamer).
• The FTC would be expected to enforce the rules, per Engadget.
• The example he used is NBA 2K25, which launched in 2024 at $70, according to Engadget.
• That game is being removed from digital stores on 30 October, and its online servers close in December, Engadget says.
• KeenGamer says the congressman's official site states players will not be able to fully play the game after 31 December 2026.

Background

Engadget links the bill to the Stop Killing Games campaign, which pushes for protection as more games are sold as digital licenses that publishers can take back. A buyer can lose a game they paid for when the servers go off.

The same article lists hurdles. A California bill with similar state-level protections failed a committee vote in June. The bill could also stall in committee. The FTC's power is less certain after a 2024 Supreme Court decision that ended Chevron deference, a rule that told courts to defer to agencies on unclear laws. Engadget adds that a judge blocked the FTC's ban on noncompete clauses, ruling the agency lacked the power to make such rules, and that a similar challenge could hit game rules.

Engadget also says the congressman told Kotaku that enforcing the rules would bring back how things worked before games were sold mainly as downloads. He suggested similar protections could one day cover digital books, movies and music.

What it means for you

For now, nothing changes. If you buy games online, you are usually buying a license that the publisher can end. This bill, if it ever passes, would change that.

Our take: bills announced at this stage often go nowhere. Do not expect a change soon. It is still a sign that lawmakers are paying attention to games that stop working after servers close.

What happens next

No source we read gives a date for introducing or voting on the bill. The date in the story is the 30 October removal of NBA 2K25 from stores, and the shutdown of its online servers in December.

FAQ

What is the Power to the Players Act?

It is a proposed US law, announced on 15 October 2026. It would make buyers owners of the video games they buy and require an offline mode before servers close.

Is it a law now?

No. Engadget says it had not been introduced in Congress yet when it was announced.

Which game inspired it?

NBA 2K25, which launched in 2024 at $70. Engadget says it leaves digital stores on 30 October and its online servers shut down in December.

Sources

• Engadget
• tomshardware.com
• keengamer.com