Congressman Richie Torres introduces legislation to ensure gamers own their digital games.

Congressman Richie Torres, a Democrat, is introducing legislation aimed at ensuring you own your digital games instead of licensing them.

Democratic Congressman Richie Torres is introducing legislation aimed at making sure you own digital games, not just buy a license to play them.

Known as the Power for Gamers Act, the bill directs the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to create regulations that protect gamers and their digital libraries. In short, Torres wants to make sure that when you buy a digital game, you actually own it, not a license that can be revoked. In addition, the bill requires that online games have offline functionality, so that when the servers go down, the content can still be played by those who own the game.

"Consumers should have the right to own, the right to play and the right to transfer the games they buy," Torres said in a press release. "A game that can be discontinued the moment a company goes out of business isn't a purchase. It's a rental disguised as a sale. Families in the Bronx and across the country save up to buy these games, and they deserve better than a license that disappears at any time. The Power To The Players Act ensures that consumers get what they buy and can continue to play long after a company goes out. give."

Torres made an example of NBA 2K25, a game that recently announced that it would make single-player modes unavailable due to server shutdowns. The news garnered widespread attention, as many were confused as to why a game that was only two years old would be obsolete so soon.

Torres' bill addresses the ongoing debate in the industry. Earlier this year, it was confirmed that PlayStation would be phasing out physical games from 2028, which means gamers won't be able to actually own their next-gen games. GTA 6 is also going physical this November, meaning there won't be any used copies of the game once it's released. It's a slippery slope that gamers have been struggling with for some time now.

The Stop Killing Games movement strives to make games more accessible to their current owners even after servers are shut down. The Torres bill would ensure that they continue to do so, at least in the United States. Of course, we'll have to see if this bill makes it to the finish line, but it's a noble effort and shows that someone is trying to make a difference.

Cade Onder is a freelancer for the IGN news team. He covers all things entertainment, including games, movies and more. You can find him on Twitter @Cade_Onder.