Minecraft, Call Of Duty Community Servers Are “Illegal,” Claims ESA Rep
During a California State Senate hearing on the Protect Our Games Act (a Stop Killing Games bill aimed at ensuring games remain playable after official server shutdowns), the Entertainment Software Association made a controversial claim: private community servers for Minecraft and Call of Duty are “illegal.”
Jennifer Gibbons, the ESA’s vice president of state government affairs, stated that these community-run servers violate the law, describing them as “piracy.” The ESA indicated they have taken legal action against such servers in the past.
The claim was made in response to Assemblyman Chris Ward’s suggestion that private servers could serve as a viable solution for maintaining game availability after publishers discontinue official support. Both Minecraft and Call of Duty already have thriving community server ecosystems, making the ESA’s assertion particularly contentious within the gaming community.
The statement drew widespread criticism from gaming outlets, which characterized it as “baffling” and “head-scratching.” The ESA’s position appeared to contradict the existing reality of these games’ communities and raised questions about the association’s understanding of modern gaming infrastructure.
The Protect Our Games Act was ultimately voted down at the California State Senate, but the ESA representative’s comments became one of the most notable incidents from the legislative battle.