Video game industry warns EU Kids Act could kill old games and small developers

The video game industry is raising alarms over the proposed EU Kids Act, warning that the child-protection legislation could drive small creators and old games into extinction. The act, unveiled by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen last month, aims to “give childhood back to our children” and put parents “in the driving seat.” It would require videogames catered to children to meet stringent requirements by default, including an eight-hour nighttime lock-out, a ban on screenshots, and guardian supervision.

Industry trade groups have been quick to criticize the threat to videogame makers during the Commission’s feedback period. Ross Scott, founder of the Stop Killing Games campaign, warned that the regulation could spark a race to update games or deactivate them. “This could turn the EU into a pariah state for videogames,” he said. If passed, developers would need to create a child mode version and gate full games behind an age verification step.

Compliance costs and wide scope

Scott added that the law “is going to bury developers with compliance steps, and a whole lot of cost.” Age verification with zero-knowledge proof is likely required, meaning developers cannot collect data. Lauro Fava, a partner at Pinsent Masons, noted that “in practice, providers would likely need to engage a third-party age assurance provider.” The Commission’s impact assessment suggested that third-party age verification apps would reduce costs, but Fava called the missing estimates “strange” and said the Commission “arguably downplayed” the cost of compliance.

Advocacy group Gamer’s Voice said small games would struggle to pay for age-verification and other compliance measures, which may include game redesigns. The Kids Act would outlaw features that increase social comparison for minors, potentially restricting leaderboards and kill counts. The cost to developers is not known, and prices could increase for players. The draft law’s wide scope means community servers and hobbyist-developed games could be subject to the new rules. Any game, new or old, must follow the measures unless strictly offline in physical format or built only for educational purposes. Rules would apply to games made or consumed in the EU, and there are fears that game makers could block access to their games on the bloc.