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Rep. Ritchie Torres plans to introduce the Power To The Players Act, a bill directing the FTC to create rules protecting video game buyers’ ownership rights. The proposal would address digital licenses and require games with online features to retain working offline modes after servers shut down, but it has not yet been formally introduced.
Rep. Ritchie Torres, a New York Democrat, says he plans to introduce the Power To The Players Act, legislation that would direct the Federal Trade Commission to set rules protecting video game buyers’ ownership rights. The proposal would address digital games sold under revocable licenses and require games with online features to retain working offline modes after their servers shut down.
Under the plan described by Torres to Kotaku, companies selling digital games would have to give buyers more than a license that can expire. The bill would also require games with online components to include offline modes that remain usable when a publisher ends server support. Torres framed the proposal around the principle that “if you pay for it, you own it.”
The announcement comes as publisher 2K Games prepares to delist NBA 2K25 from digital storefronts on October 30 and close its online servers on January 1, 2027, according to the report. The shutdown is expected to disable the game’s most popular modes. The report says the title was the fifth best-selling game in the United States in 2024; that ranking and the stated shutdown schedule are reported details, not provisions of Torres’ proposed bill.
Torres has not formally introduced the legislation. The available account says the bill would assign the FTC a rulemaking role, but does not provide legislative text or explain how the requirements would apply to different game formats, services or business models.
What Server Shutdowns Could Change
The proposal targets a practical concern for people who buy games digitally: access may depend on a publisher continuing to operate a service. If a game relies on online servers for its main modes, ending that support can sharply limit what buyers can play, even if the game remains installed. Torres’ plan would seek to make offline access part of the product for games with online features.
The issue also affects the meaning of a digital purchase. A physical copy can often be kept and resold, while a digital transaction may grant access under a license whose terms and duration are controlled by the seller. Torres argues that stronger rights would protect consumers and families who spend money on games, especially as prices rise. Whether the proposed rules would create a legal right to transfer digital games, and how that might work, is not yet clear.
For publishers, rules requiring offline functionality or more durable access could affect how games are designed, distributed and supported. The proposal could prompt debate over preservation and consumer rights alongside the costs and technical limits of maintaining multiplayer features. Those are potential consequences; the bill’s final language and any industry response are not yet available.
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From Digital Licenses to Shutdowns
The announcement follows increased advocacy around what happens when publishers end support for games. The Stop Killing Games campaign has called on companies not to sell titles that can become unplayable when online services end. That campaign and Torres’ proposal address related concerns, though the source does not say the bill was drafted by or formally coordinated with the group.
The NBA 2K25 shutdown provides a current example of the issue. According to Kotaku, the game was released a little over two years before the planned delisting and server closure, and its original price was $70. Removing a game from storefronts can prevent new purchases, while taking servers offline may affect existing owners’ ability to use online-dependent modes. Torres told the outlet he did not buy NBA 2K25, but said he grew up playing series including Grand Theft Auto, Resident Evil and SOCOM.
Torres described the proposal as a restoration of what he sees as a longstanding expectation that people can keep playing games they have bought. The bill, as reported, applies to video games rather than movies or music. He said he hopes it could eventually set a precedent for other parts of the digital economy, but that broader effect would depend on future legislation.
““I think there should be a simple rule: if you pay for it, you own it.””
— Rep. Ritchie Torres, speaking to Kotaku
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Bill Text and Support Remain Unknown
The Power To The Players Act has not yet been formally introduced, so its precise wording, scope and implementation are unknown. Torres did not tell Kotaku whether the bill would have cosponsors or whether any Republicans would support it. The source also does not identify a committee referral, a timetable for introduction or any response from game publishers.
It remains unclear how the FTC would define an adequate offline mode, whether the requirements would apply to games already on sale, or how they would address titles designed around online play. Torres has said consumers should have a right to transfer games, but the reported outline does not specify how that right would operate for digital purchases. These details would need to be clarified in the bill and any resulting regulations.
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Formal Introduction Starts the Process
The next step is for Torres to formally introduce the bill in Congress. After introduction, it would enter the legislative process, including committee consideration; the proposal would need to advance through further steps before it could become law. No schedule for those stages or expected vote was provided in the source report.
Readers can expect the bill’s text, any cosponsors and reactions from lawmakers or the gaming industry to clarify what protections are being sought and whether the proposal has a path forward. Until those details emerge, the announced outline is a plan rather than an enacted change in consumer rights.
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Key Questions
What is the Power To The Players Act?
It is legislation Rep. Ritchie Torres plans to introduce. As described to Kotaku, it would direct the FTC to create rules protecting video game ownership and require games with online features to retain usable offline modes after server shutdowns.
Has the bill been introduced or passed?
No. Torres has announced plans to introduce it, but the source report says it has not yet been formally introduced. It has not passed Congress.
Would the proposal stop publishers from shutting down servers?
The reported outline does not say publishers would be barred from closing servers. Instead, it would require games with online features to provide offline modes that continue to work after servers are shut down.
What happens to NBA 2K25 under the reported schedule?
According to the report, the game is set to be delisted on October 30, with online servers scheduled to go offline on January 1, 2027. The closure is expected to make its most popular modes unavailable; the source does not establish that every part of the game will become unplayable.
Does the bill cover movies and music?
The reported proposal focuses on video games and does not include other digital media such as movies or music. Torres said it could serve as a precedent for other areas, but that is a hope, not a provision described in the current plan.
Source: fediverse
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