Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-N.Y.) announced on October 15, 2026, that he will introduce the Power to the Players Act. The bill would direct the Federal Trade Commission to write rules ensuring that consumers own the video games they buy, not a revocable license. It would also require games with online features to offer an offline mode before their servers shut down.
Key Takeaways
- The Power to the Players Act would make buying a video game a transfer of ownership instead of a license to play.
- Games with online functionality would have to provide an offline mode before the servers supporting them are shut down.
- Torres’s office cited NBA 2K25, which will be removed from digital storefronts on October 30 and have its online servers shut down on December 31, about two years after release.
- The bill would rely on the FTC to write the specific rules, which leaves the details of digital ownership to a later rulemaking process.
- Bill text has not been published, so definitions of ownership and resale rights for digital copies are still unknown.
The Bill Targets the Gap Between Buying and Owning
The Power to the Players Act addresses a distinction most players don’t notice until it matters. When a consumer buys a physical game disc, the copy belongs to them. They can play it years later, lend it or resell it. When a consumer buys a digital game, the terms of sale usually grant a license to use the software, and the publisher or platform can limit or end that license.
Torres’s announcement argues that this arrangement has become the norm as the industry moves away from physical media. The press release says game companies have shifted toward digital-only games and consoles, removing the option to buy physical copies. Digital purchases are often sold as revocable licenses, which leaves players dependent on a company’s continued support.
“When you pay for a game, you should own it,” Torres said in the announcement. He described a game that can be taken away at a company’s discretion as “a rental disguised as a sale.”
NBA 2K25 Became the Bill’s Leading Example
Torres’s office used NBA 2K25 to show what is at stake. The game sold for $69.99 for the standard edition and $99.99 for the All-Star Edition. It is scheduled to be delisted from digital storefronts on October 30, and its online servers will shut down on December 31, about two years after release.
Annual sports titles show the problem clearly, because much of their value sits in online modes tied to company servers. When the servers go offline, those features stop working, even for players who paid full price. The Power to the Players Act would require publishers to provide an offline mode before shutting down servers, so the game keeps working in some form after official support ends.
What the Bill Would and Would Not Do
The announcement sets out three principles. Torres said consumers should have the right to own, the right to play and the right to transfer the games they buy. In practice, the bill has two main provisions:
- Ownership: Buying a video game would give the consumer ownership of the game instead of a license to play it.
- Offline access: Games with online functionality would have to offer an offline mode before their supporting servers are shut down.
The announcement also says the bill would preserve consumers’ ability to own and resell their games. How resale would work for digital copies is unclear. A physical disc can change hands easily, but a digital license is tied to an account on a specific platform. Making digital games transferable would require technical and contractual systems that do not exist today across major storefronts.
The bill also does not set the rules itself. It directs the FTC to establish them. That approach gives the agency room to work out definitions and enforcement, but it means the full effect of the Power to the Players Act would depend on a rulemaking process that could take years after any law is passed.
A Growing Federal Interest in How Consumer Technology Is Sold
The Power to the Players Act is part of a broader push in Washington to set rules for consumer technology that has mostly governed itself. Similar debates are playing out in other areas, including a recent proposal for a U.S.-led standards body to test frontier AI models. What these debates have in common is that federal policy is now being asked to define rights for products sold mainly as software and services.
The size of the market explains the attention. The Entertainment Software Association and Circana reported that U.S. consumers spent $57.2 billion on video games in 2023, with digital download spending on consoles up 13% from the prior year. With most purchases now digital, the question of whether players own what they buy affects tens of millions of households.
The Bill Still Has to Be Introduced
The Power to the Players Act is at the earliest stage of the legislative process. Torres has announced his intent to introduce it, but formal bill text, cosponsors and a committee assignment have not been made public. The video game industry has not issued a formal response to the announcement.
Bills like this face a long path. They must be introduced, considered in committee and passed by both the House and Senate before reaching the president. Even then, the FTC would have to write the regulations. For now, the announcement is mainly a marker of where Washington may head as physical game sales shrink.
FAQs
What Is the Power to the Players Act?
The Power to the Players Act is proposed federal legislation announced by Rep. Ritchie Torres on October 15, 2026. It would direct the FTC to create rules ensuring consumers own the video games they buy and can keep playing them after servers shut down.
Has the Power to the Players Act Been Introduced in Congress?
Not yet. Rep. Torres announced that he will introduce the bill, but formal bill text and cosponsors had not been released as of October 16, 2026.
Would the Bill Apply to Digital Games?
Yes. The bill focuses on digital purchases, which are often sold as revocable licenses. Under the proposal, buying a video game would give the consumer ownership rather than a license.
What Happens to Online Games When Servers Shut Down Under the Bill?
Games with online functionality would have to provide an offline mode before their servers are shut down, so players could keep using the game.
Why Did Rep. Torres Mention NBA 2K25?
Torres’s office cited NBA 2K25 because it will be delisted from digital storefronts on October 30 and have its online servers shut down on December 31, about two years after release.
