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Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-NY-15) announced on October 15, 2026, that he plans to introduce the Power To The Players Act, a federal proposal aimed at giving buyers stronger ownership rights over purchased video games. It is not law: independent coverage reported that the bill had not yet been formally introduced, so no bill number or legislative text was available at that time.
What the Power To The Players Act would change
The proposal is built around three rights for people who buy video games: the right to own, the right to play and the right to transfer. Torres’s position is that paying for a game should create ownership rather than leave the buyer with only a revocable license that can disappear when a publisher or platform changes course.
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| Proposed right | How the announcement describes it | What is known now |
|---|---|---|
| Own | A purchase would confer ownership instead of only a revocable license. | The precise legal definition remains unavailable because formal bill text had not been released. |
| Play | Games with online functionality would need an offline mode before supporting servers are shut down. | The announcement does not specify technical standards, deadlines or exceptions. |
| Transfer | Players would retain the ability to transfer or resell purchased games for continued use by friends and family. | Rules for authentication, account binding and third-party content are unsettled. |
Why server shutdowns are central to the proposal
Many games depend on publisher-operated servers for multiplayer, authentication or other online features. Under the proposal, a game that includes online functionality would have to offer an offline mode before those supporting servers are turned off. That requirement is intended to preserve at least some form of play after a company ends online operations.
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NBA 2K25 is the example Torres cited
The congressional release uses NBA 2K25 to show why the proposal is being advanced. It lists the standard edition at $69.99 and the All-Star Edition at $99.99, with both prices attributed to the Office of Rep. Ritchie Torres in 2026.
According to the release, the game was scheduled to be removed from digital storefronts on October 30, with its online servers scheduled to shut down on December 31—roughly two years after release. Delisting can stop new purchases, while a server shutdown can affect online access for people who already paid. The proposal treats that kind of timeline as evidence that a purchase should not become unusable simply because the publisher has moved on.
Do you actually own a digital game you bought?
Not because of this announcement. Torres has proposed changing the legal treatment of purchased games, but the proposal had not been enacted and its text was not yet available. Until Congress passes a law and the relevant rules take effect, the rights attached to a digital purchase continue to depend on the transaction’s terms, platform arrangements and applicable law.
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The proposed rule would move the default toward ownership. That could affect whether a publisher may revoke access, what happens after a storefront delists a title and whether a buyer can transfer a copy. None of those outcomes is guaranteed by the announcement alone.
Would the bill let you resell a digital game?
Transfer and resale are explicitly presented as consumer rights. Torres’s announcement says that preserving transfer would let players keep using games with friends and family after a company stops supporting them. However, the mechanism is unknown. A final law would need to define whether transfer means selling a license, moving a copy between accounts, lending access or another process.
It would also need to address games that include licensed music, sports leagues, player likenesses or other third-party material. The treatment of that content is one of the open issues identified in coverage of the proposal.
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What the proposal does not cover
The measure is focused on video games. Reported coverage says it does not include movies or music, although Torres hopes a video-game ownership rule could establish a precedent for other digital purchases. The announcement therefore should not be read as a general digital-property law.
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What happens next
- Formal introduction: Torres must file the bill so it receives a bill number and public legislative text.
- Definitions and scope: Congress would need to clarify ownership, offline functionality, transfer, resale and treatment of third-party content.
- Committee consideration: The proposal would need to advance through the congressional process before reaching a vote.
- FTC rulemaking: The announcement says the bill would direct the Federal Trade Commission to establish consumer-protection regulations, but it does not specify the implementation schedule or enforcement procedures.
Until those steps occur, there is no new federal requirement that publishers provide offline modes, permit resale or maintain access to a game after servers close.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Torres’s stated rationale
“When you pay for a game, you should own it,” Torres said in the announcement. He argued that a game that can be taken away when a company pulls the plug is “a rental disguised as a sale,” and said families should be able to keep playing after a company moves on. In a reported interview, he summarized the position more simply: “If you pay for it, you own it.”
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Those statements describe the policy goal, not an enforceable rule. The practical effect will depend on the bill’s eventual language, whether Congress passes it and how the FTC implements any resulting authority.
Frequently Asked Questions
Has the Power To The Players Act become law?
No. Torres announced his intention to introduce it on October 15, 2026, but the bill had not yet been formally introduced, and no bill number or legislative text was available at that time.
Will NBA 2K25 keep working after its scheduled server shutdown?
The announcement identifies a December 31 server shutdown and argues that games with online functionality should provide an offline mode first. It does not itself change the game’s shutdown plan or guarantee that an offline mode will be provided.
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