California Assembly Committee Approves Bill Requiring Offline Modes or Refunds for Online Games

A legislative proposal aimed at combating the sudden shutdown of online video games has advanced in California. The majority of members on the California State Assembly Appropriations Committee voted to support a bill codenamed AB 1921, also referred to as the Protect Our Games Act. Assembly member Chris Ward introduced the legislation in February with the stated goal of protecting consumer rights for players.

If enacted, the bill would place restrictions on companies that terminate online game servers. Publishers would be required to announce closure plans 60 days in advance. Following this notice, developers would either need to patch the affected titles to include an offline mode or provide refunds to purchasers. The initiative was developed with support from the Stop Killing Games team, a group behind a comparable initiative that previously reached the European Parliament.

Despite passing through the committee, the bill still faces several legislative steps before becoming law. It must next pass a full vote among all Assembly members. If it secures a majority there, the document will advance to California Governor Gavin Newsom for signature.

Meanwhile, the Entertainment Software Association has publicly opposed AB 1921. Representing major publishers such as Microsoft, Sony, Electronic Arts, Ubisoft, Capcom, and Epic Games, the association argues that the measure would harm the industry. According to the ESA, the legislation would force developers to spend additional time and resources maintaining older infrastructure rather than focusing on new projects.