The UK has decided not to broaden consumer protection laws to enhance safeguards for gamers affected by "disabling" live service games

The United Kingdom's government has chosen not to revise laws protecting gamers upset by the discontinuation of live service games. A petition, which surpassed 10,000 signatures, prompted a government review but failed to convince officials to change existing policies. The petition advocated for regulators to "update consumer law to prohibit publishers from disabling video games (and related game assets / features) they have already sold without recourse for customers to retain or repair them."
Despite this, the government indicated that it has "no plans to amend UK consumer law on disabling video games." Current laws remain sufficient, according to officials, who will keep watching the situation closely.
A statement from the Department for Culture, Media and Sport acknowledged gamers' concerns regarding the longevity of digital content, including video games. It mentioned recognizing issues with the lifespan of digital goods but reiterated that new measures are not currently planned. The government's intention is to observe the ongoing work of the Competition and Market Authority concerning consumer rights and the potential disadvantages consumers face.
The government response detailed protections found in the Consumer Rights Act 2015 and the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008. However, they noted that UK laws do not require software companies to support outdated versions of their products. Companies may, at times, choose to stop support due to high costs associated with maintaining servers for games with declining usage.
Lastly, the announcement highlighted that The Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers (DMCC) Act 2024, designed to provide further consumer protections, is anticipated to be implemented in April 2025.