The European Commission said on Tuesday it cannot require video games to remain playable ​after they are withdrawn from sale, but ‌will work with industry and consumer groups on a voluntary code of conduct for managing games’ “end of life”.

French consumer ​group UFC-Que Choisir sued Ubisoft in March after ​the video game maker shut down servers ⁠for its online racing game “The Crew”, making it ​permanently unplayable for buyers. The case is backed by ​the “Stop Killing Games” campaign launched after the controversy.

Ubisoft said players bought limited access, not full ownership. UFC-Que Choisir alleges ​the company misled consumers about how long the ​game would remain available and imposed unfair contract terms stripping ‌players ⁠of ownership rights.

The Commission said copyright and other intellectual property rules prevent it from imposing an obligation to keep games playable. It added it would ​work with ​consumer organisations ⁠and authorities to raise awareness of existing rights.

“Active enforcement of these existing consumer ​rights can also incentivise the providers ​to ⁠offer video games with longer lifespans and explore solutions for meeting consumer expectations,” the Commission said in ⁠a ​statement.

UFC-Que Choisir and Stop Killing ​Games did not immediately respond to requests for comment.