Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-N.Y.) announced on October 15, 2026, that he will introduce the Power To The Players Act, a proposal directing the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to create rules protecting consumers who buy video games. The bill would treat a purchase as ownership rather than a revocable license, preserve the buyer’s ability to play and transfer the game, and require an offline mode before online services are shut down.
It is proposed legislation, not current law. The announcement does not establish that Congress has passed it, that the FTC has written rules, or that any effective date exists.
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What Torres says the bill would change
Torres framed the issue around the difference between owning a copy and receiving permission that a publisher can withdraw. “When you pay for a game, you should own it,” he said. He added: “Consumers must have the right to own, the right to play, and the right to transfer the games they buy. A game that can be taken away the moment a company pulls the plug is not a purchase. It is a rental disguised as a sale.”
The proposal would instruct the FTC to establish consumer-protection regulations covering digital game sales. The announcement describes three core rights:
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- Ownership: buying a game would confer ownership instead of only a revocable license to access it.
- Continued play: purchasers would retain the right to play the game they bought.
- Transfer: purchasers would have a right to transfer or resell the game.
Because no enacted text or implementing rule is available in the cited announcement, details such as how transfers would work across accounts, platforms, or regions remain unsettled.
Would games have to work offline after servers close?
Yes, under the proposal’s stated policy. Games that include online functionality would have to provide an offline mode before the supporting servers are shut down. That requirement is aimed at preserving playable content when a publisher retires its online service; it does not mean every feature that once required a server would continue to function.
The announcement does not say how far in advance a company would have to add an offline mode, what technical standard would qualify, or how games designed entirely around live servers would be handled. Those questions would depend on the eventual bill and FTC rules if the measure advances.
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NBA 2K25 is Torres’s example
Torres’s office points to NBA 2K25 as an example of the risk. It lists a $69.99 standard edition and a $99.99 All-Star Edition. According to the office, the game was scheduled for delisting from digital storefronts on October 30, 2026, and its online servers were scheduled to shut down on December 31, 2026—about two years after the game’s initial release.
Delisting can stop new customers from buying a title, while a server shutdown can affect people who already paid. The proposed offline-mode requirement is intended to address that second problem, but the cited material does not establish whether NBA 2K25 would meet any future rule or whether the schedule would change.
Why “digital purchase” often means a license today
Many digital storefront terms describe a transaction as a license to use software rather than a transfer of ownership in the traditional property sense. That arrangement can allow a publisher to revoke access, terminate an account, or make a game dependent on servers. Moving from discs to downloads has made the distinction more visible because there may be no permanent physical copy that works independently of a platform.
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Under current platform terms, the practical answer to “Do I actually own a digital game I bought?” varies by storefront, game design, and the technology needed to authenticate or run it. A purchase receipt alone does not establish the statutory rights Torres is proposing.
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Shutdowns show what can be lost
PC Gamer cited Ubisoft’s The Crew as a shutdown example. The racing game went offline in 2024, and purchasers reportedly lost access even to its single-player campaign. The case illustrates why preservation advocates, including the Stop Killing Games movement, argue that basic offline functionality should be expected when an online game is retired.
These examples involve existing products and publisher decisions; they are not evidence that the Power To The Players Act has taken effect.
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How the proposal compares with current practice
| Issue | Typical revocable-license model today | Power To The Players Act proposal | DRM-free download practice |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ownership status | Access is granted under a license described in platform or publisher terms. | A purchase would confer ownership rather than only a revocable license. | The buyer receives downloadable files that can be retained, but this is not a statutory guarantee. |
| Offline access after server retirement | Not assured; some games may stop working. | An online game would need an offline mode before supporting servers shut down. | Games can remain usable when compatible hardware and required software are available. |
| Transfer or resale | Usually controlled by account and platform rules. | Consumers would retain a right to transfer or resell purchases. | File ownership does not by itself create a legal resale right. |
| Dependence on publisher servers | May be required for authentication, multiplayer, or single-player features. | Server retirement could not eliminate all play if an offline mode is required. | Lower for titles designed to run locally, though compatibility can still matter. |
| Ability to back up files | Depends on the platform and its download controls. | The announcement does not specify a backup mechanism. | PC Gamer reports that purchases from GOG can be backed up and used while compatible hardware remains available. |
PC Gamer also cautioned that FTC rules would probably define a softer form of ownership rather than require the elimination of every software copy-protection system. In other words, a future rule could strengthen a buyer’s continuing rights without making every game completely free of digital rights management.
What happens next
The next legal milestones would be introduction of bill text, congressional consideration, and—if Congress passes a measure and it is signed—FTC rulemaking. None of those steps is established by the October 15 announcement. Until they occur, a game’s access, offline behavior, and transferability remain governed by the applicable storefront terms, publisher technology, and the game’s design.
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