U.S. Representative Ritchie Torres has announced plans for the Power To The Players Act, a federal proposal intended to give video game buyers stronger ownership rights and protect access to purchased games after publishers shut down online services.
The New York Democrat announced the proposal on October 15, 2026, calling for Federal Trade Commission regulations that would address the difference between buying a game and receiving a potentially revocable license to play it.
Although some news coverage has described the legislation as introduced, Torres's official announcement says he would introduce it. As of October 19, a formal congressional filing, bill number and published statutory text could not be independently verified. The proposed protections are not currently federal law.
The announcement comes as publishers continue retiring online services for older games, raising questions about what customers retain after paying for titles that depend on company-operated servers.
What Would the Power To The Players Act Change?
According to Torres's office, the proposed legislation would direct the FTC to establish consumer protections addressing three connected issues: ownership of purchased games, the ability to transfer them, and continued playability when online support ends.
The announcement describes an approach under which purchasing a video game would confer ownership rather than simply a license to access it. It also calls for preserving consumers' ability to resell or transfer their purchases.
A separate provision would require games with online functionality to offer an offline mode before their supporting servers are shut down.
These objectives could affect how publishers structure game purchases and end-of-service plans. However, the announcement does not establish the precise legal rights buyers would receive, how those rights would be enforced, or whether every type of online game would be covered.
The distinction matters because an announced regulatory objective is not the same as a finalized legal requirement. Any enforceable protections would depend on the legislation's eventual wording, passage and implementation.
Why Video Game Ownership Is Complicated
Buying a video game does not necessarily mean acquiring unrestricted control over its software. Many digital transactions provide access under licensing agreements that define how a game can be installed, used or transferred.
Software copyright and consumer ownership are also different concepts. A buyer can have rights to use a purchased copy without owning the intellectual property behind the game.
Online infrastructure adds another complication. Some games depend on publisher-operated servers for multiplayer features, account authentication, progression systems or other essential functionality. When that infrastructure is retired, portions of a game may become unavailable even to customers who previously purchased it.
The consequences vary considerably. A title with substantial offline functionality may remain playable after its online services end. Another game built around persistent online infrastructure may lose most or all of its practical functionality.
Storefront delisting is different again. Removing a game from sale does not automatically mean that existing owners lose access, although continued downloading and functionality depend on the applicable platform, game and service arrangements.
The proposed legislation seeks to address these problems, but it remains unclear how ownership and transfer rights would work across different storefronts, consoles and PC gaming services.
NBA 2K25 Shows What Happens When Online Services End
Torres highlighted NBA 2K25 as an example of how quickly a full-priced game can approach the end of its supported online life.
Released on September 6, 2024, NBA 2K25 originally retailed for $69.99 for its standard edition and $99.99 for its All-Star Edition, according to the congressman's announcement.
Torres's office says the game is scheduled to be removed from digital storefronts on October 30, 2026. Separately, publisher 2K lists December 31, 2026, as the scheduled retirement date for its online features and services.
That does not mean NBA 2K25 will become completely unplayable.
According to 2K's official online services documentation, the game retains several offline modes, including Play Now, MyNBA/MyLeague/MyGM, 2KU/Learn 2K, MyWNBA and The W.
Online-dependent functionality, however, will no longer be available after the scheduled retirement. The publisher also notes that service-retirement schedules can change.
The example illustrates why shutdown discussions require precision. Consumers may retain access to parts of a purchased game while losing online features or experiences they previously used.
For games with no meaningful offline functionality, the consequences of a server shutdown can be substantially more severe.
Would the Proposal Protect Existing Games?
One of the biggest unanswered questions is whether the Power To The Players Act would apply to games already purchased or only to future transactions.
Torres's announcement does not establish whether the intended protections would operate retroactively. It also does not specify how publishers would accommodate games originally designed to depend on central servers.
Converting an online-dependent game into an offline experience can involve more than removing a connection requirement. Depending on the title, gameplay systems, saved progress, authentication and multiplayer services may rely on infrastructure that was never designed to operate locally.
That does not necessarily make preservation impossible, but it means different games could require different technical solutions. The announcement provides no verified exemption framework or detailed compliance standard for such cases.
Digital resale raises additional questions. Even if federal rules recognized stronger transfer rights, the practical process would depend on how accounts, licenses, downloads and ownership records could be transferred without leaving unauthorized duplicate copies.
There is currently no verified basis for claiming that the proposal would immediately allow consumers to resell every Steam, PlayStation or Xbox game, or that it would permanently preserve every online title.
What Happens Next?
The immediate milestone is confirmation that the Power To The Players Act has been formally introduced in Congress. As of October 19, 2026, Torres's October 15 announcement remains the primary verified record of the proposal, while an official bill number, statutory text and committee assignment have not been independently established.
Once formally introduced, federal legislation ordinarily proceeds through congressional consideration, which can include committee review, amendments and votes. Becoming law would require passage by both chambers and completion of the constitutional enactment process.
Even if the measure becomes law, its practical effect would depend on the final statutory language and any regulations developed under the authority granted to the FTC.
Important details still need clarification, including the definition of game ownership, treatment of existing purchases, rules governing transfers, offline-access requirements and possible exemptions for technically dependent online services.
For players, the central issue is whether paying for a video game should provide lasting access beyond a publisher's commercial support schedule. Torres's proposal would attempt to strengthen that protection, but its eventual reach remains uncertain until lawmakers publish and advance specific legislative language.
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