What if Stop Killing Games win? Anthem, SpaceCraft and Warframe devs on the “massive undertaking” of reverse engineering an always-online game
The Stop Killing Games initiative has prompted discussions with developers from major live-service titles about the technical and practical challenges of preserving always-online games. Developers from Warframe, Anthem, and SpaceCraft addressed what reverse engineering and archiving these complex titles would require.
Warframe exemplifies the preservation challenge. The game has evolved over 13 years, accumulating numerous quests, areas, plotlines, game systems, and characters, along with substantial player-created content. Though Digital Extremes has maintained much of Warframe’s original design foundation, the developers have selectively removed content such as PvP raids and continuously refined existing systems. The game’s narrative encompasses themes ranging from science-fiction storytelling to commentary on labor exploitation.
The discussion underscores the “massive undertaking” involved in preserving live-service games. Unlike traditional titles released in a finished state, always-online games continuously evolve with features, content, and systems being added, modified, or removed throughout their operational lifespan. This creates a dynamic preservation challenge for archivists seeking to capture and maintain these experiences.
The participation of prominent developers signals the industry’s growing recognition that digital preservation is becoming critical. As live-service games dominate contemporary gaming, questions about the fate of these titles when support ends—and whether preservation is technically and legally feasible—have gained significant attention.