Twitch streamer and game developer Pirate Software is at the center of a viral online feud with fellow creator Accursed Farms over the Stop Killing Games movement.
The Stop Killing Games movement was first introduced in April 2024 by Accursed Farms, real name Ross Scott, who runs a YouTube channel with over 360K subscribers.
The consumer-led movement aims to put an end to developers effectively ‘killing’ online or live-service games once official support has run its course. Essentially, Stop Killing Games wants developers to find a way to keep online games alive so people can play together even after they’re ‘obsolete.’
“An increasing number of video games are sold effectively as goods – with no stated expiration date – but designed to be completely unplayable as soon as support from the publisher ends,” organizers argue.
“This practice is a form of planned obsolescence and is not only detrimental to customers, but makes preservation effectively impossible. Furthermore, the legality of this practice is largely untested in many countries.”
Thus far, it has put forward petitions in the UK, Australia, France, and Germany, and is currently working toward another for the European Citizens’ Initiative. If the signature threshold is met, there’s a “very strong chance” the European Commission will pass a law to ensure online games are preserved.
Pirate Software speaks out against Stop Killing Games
Although the Stop Killing Games effort was widely positively received, another big voice in the gaming space levied concerns about the movement.
Pirate Software, real name Jason Thor Hall, uploaded a YouTube video in response to Scott’s Stop Killing Games initiative, arguing that the movement was too vague, calling it unfeasible and saying it sets a bad “precedent” on “something that doesn’t make any sense.”
Hall also appeared to take issue with a remark Ross made about using the movement to “distract” politicians from more pressing matters by presenting them with an “easy” case to tackle.
“The initiative is too broad and will damage all live service games,” Hall said. “…to sum it all up, no, I will not be supporting the initiative ‘Stop Killing Games.’ You’re not going to change my mind on it, because I find this language incredibly vague and damaging to the rest of our industry.”
Accursed Farms responds to Pirate Software’s criticisms
In the year following this video, Hall continued to address the movement in various posts and comments online. In March 2025, Ross offered a rebuttal in a YouTube video on Tech Over Tea’s channel.
“The takeaway from Pirate Software’s coverage of this is that he misrepresented what the movement is about. How intentional that was, I don’t know. …he sees it as ‘all is well,’” Ross said.
“It’s unfortunate. I offered to talk with him about it. If you hate the initiative, you hate it, but at least hate it for what it is.”
Ross also published an FAQ video on his own channel, where he offered clarity and further insights on Stop Killing Games in response to the skepticism raised by Pirate Software.
Stop Killing Games signature deadline nears its end
Now, over a year later, the deadline for Stop Killing Games’ European Citizens’ Initiative signature threshold is on the horizon — but only 47% of the required signatures have been provided.
Ross placed some blame on Pirate Software for Stop Killing Games’ failure in this particular venture, uploading a YouTube video on June 23, 2025 where he accused him of “lying” about what the movement really is.
“This video came out right as we were building momentum, and except for one boost in Germany, the signatures started drying up like clockwork,” Ross said.
“This put me in a no-win scenario, too, because if I ignored it, then a lot of people would get misinformed about the campaign, and if I did a response video, it would look like drama-farming.”
Ross argued that, due to Pirate’s large online following, his videos criticising the initiative discouraged people from signing the petition, which is set to end on June 31, 2025.
“To this day, I am still getting frequent comments and emails about the same falsehoods about the campaign that originated in [Hall’s] video. Well, now I have nothing to lose. If we don’t get the signatures, none of this matters, anyway.”
A slew of other top games-focused creators like MoistCritikal and SomeOrdinaryGamers have spoken out in favor of Ross and the Stop Killing Games movement, releasing videos drawing attention to the initiative in hopes that the petition passes and games can be preserved.
“There are a lot of video games I grew up playing that I loved and that I continue to love,” SomeOrdinaryGamers said. “…if these laws are set now, it makes sure going forward, in the next 200-300 years… at least our games can be preserved.”
Content shared from www.dexerto.com.