US Bill Would Give Players Ownership of Digital Games

US Representative Ritchie Torres has announced plans to introduce the Power To The Players Act, a proposed law designed to strengthen consumer ownership rights for purchased video games.

According to the official announcement from Torres' congressional office, published on October 15, 2026, the legislation would direct the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to establish new consumer protection regulations.

The proposal focuses on three rights: owning purchased games rather than receiving revocable licenses, continuing to play after online servers close, and transferring or reselling games to other consumers.

Under the proposed rules, games with online functionality would need an offline mode before their supporting servers are permanently shut down.

Torres argues that players should not lose access to products they have already purchased simply because a publisher decides to discontinue support.

“When you pay for a game, you should own it,” the congressman stated.

His announcement specifically highlighted NBA 2K25, which is scheduled to be removed from digital storefronts on October 30, 2026, with its online servers shutting down on December 31.

The game originally sold for $69.99 in its Standard Edition and $99.99 in its All-Star Edition, raising concerns about how long consumers can access expensive digital purchases.

However, the Power To The Players Act has not yet been formally introduced into Congress. Its full legislative text and specific requirements remain unavailable.

Questions also remain about how offline functionality would work for online-focused games and how digital resale rights would be implemented.

For now, the proposal represents a potential change in US consumer protection law rather than an enforceable requirement for game publishers.