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Rep. Ritchie Torres announced plans to introduce the Power To The Players Act, a bill that would direct the FTC to set rules protecting consumers’ ability to own and play purchased video games. It would treat purchases as ownership rather than licenses and require games with online features to provide an offline mode before supporting servers shut down. The bill has been announced, but the source does not say it has been formally introduced or provide a legislative schedule.
U.S. Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-N.Y.) announced plans to introduce the Power To The Players Act, legislation that would direct the Federal Trade Commission to create rules protecting consumers’ ability to own and keep playing video games they buy. The proposal would address digital purchases sold as revocable licenses and require games with online features to offer an offline mode before their supporting servers shut down.
Torres’s announcement describes two central provisions: buying a video game would give the consumer ownership rather than a license to play, and games that depend on online services would have to provide an offline mode before those services are discontinued. The bill would also seek to preserve consumers’ ability to transfer and resell games. The source says the FTC would establish regulations; it does not provide proposed regulatory language or explain how ownership rights would apply across different platforms and game types.
Torres cited NBA 2K25 as an example of the issue. According to his announcement, the game’s standard edition retailed for $69.99 and its All-Star Edition for $99.99. The announcement said the game was scheduled to be delisted from digital storefronts on October 30 and its online servers shut down on December 31, two years after its initial release. Those dates are given in the source without a year, so the precise calendar timing is not established here. Delisting and server closure are separate events: the proposal specifically concerns continued access and offline play when online support ends.
The announcement does not say the bill has passed, received a committee referral or been formally introduced. It is a proposal by Torres, not a change in current law. Any new requirements would depend on the bill’s final text and the legislative process.
What Ownership Rules Could Change
If enacted and implemented, the proposal could change what consumers are entitled to when they pay for a digital game. Under the bill as described, the purchase would carry ownership rights, rather than only permission to access a title under a revocable license. Protections for transfer and resale could also affect how games move between players, though the announcement does not spell out how those rights would work in practice.
The offline-play requirement addresses a related concern: a game may be unavailable or lose key functions when a publisher ends online support, even if a player has already paid for it. Requiring a usable offline mode before servers close could preserve access to at least some gameplay. The scope would matter: the source does not say whether every game feature, multiplayer mode or downloadable component would have to remain available.
For players, the stakes are both financial and practical. A purchase that depends on a company maintaining access can be less durable than a physical copy or a game that works offline. The proposal would seek to set federal standards for that relationship, but its effect would turn on the bill’s language, FTC rules and any exceptions.
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Digital Licenses and Server Closures
Torres’s announcement places the bill against a shift toward digital-only games and consoles, which can reduce the availability of physical copies. It argues that some digital games are sold as licenses that may depend on a company continuing to operate the relevant storefront, account system or online service. The source does not detail the licensing terms of specific games or identify how many titles are affected.
The NBA 2K25 example illustrates the distinction between a storefront listing and an online service. A title being delisted means it is no longer offered for purchase through that digital storefront; a server shutdown can affect online functions for existing players. Torres’s proposal focuses on consumer ownership and an offline option before server support ends. The announcement does not say that the game itself will be removed from every account or that all of its features will stop working.
“When you pay for a game, you should own it.”
— Rep. Ritchie Torres
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Bill Text and Scope Still Unknown
The announcement does not include the bill text, a filing date, cosponsors or details about its path through Congress. It is not clear when Torres will formally introduce the measure or whether it has support from other lawmakers. The source also does not explain how the FTC would define ownership, what remedies consumers could seek, or how the rules would apply to games designed to require an internet connection.
Other unanswered questions include whether the proposal would cover previously purchased titles, games already delisted, subscription services, downloadable add-ons or platform-specific restrictions. The NBA 2K25 dates are stated without a year, and the announcement does not provide a company response or independent confirmation of the game’s schedule. Until the legislation’s text and status are available, the protections described remain proposed rather than guaranteed.
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Awaiting Formal Introduction
The next concrete step is the bill’s formal introduction in Congress. Its text would clarify which games and transactions are covered and what duties would fall on publishers, storefront operators and platforms. After introduction, committee consideration and any further legislative action would determine whether the proposal advances; the source gives no timetable for those steps.
If Congress were to pass the measure, the FTC would then be directed to establish regulations under the proposal as described. Until then, consumers should not treat the announcement as a change to current game licenses or service policies. The source provides no immediate change to players’ access to NBA 2K25 or other titles.
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Key Questions
What is the Power To The Players Act?
It is legislation Rep. Ritchie Torres says he will introduce. As described in his announcement, it would direct the FTC to create rules protecting consumers’ ability to own and play purchased video games.
Would the bill make every digital game permanently playable?
The announcement says purchases would count as ownership and that games with online functionality would need an offline mode before supporting servers shut down. It does not specify whether every feature would remain available or how exceptions would work.
Has the bill become law?
No. The source reports an announcement of plans to introduce the bill. It does not say the legislation has been formally introduced, passed by Congress or signed into law.
Why does the announcement mention NBA 2K25?
Torres cited its reported digital delisting and planned server shutdown as an example of how store availability and online support can change after purchase. The source gives those dates without a year and does not establish that all game functions would end.
Source: hn
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