02 - The solution
The solution is really simple. When a server is no longer economically viable to keep running, the DRM crack or the server code/binary is released to the public. The game has been abandoned by its creator but people still want to play it. They aren't going to make any more money off this thing, so the least they can do is let people who have paid for it keep being able to play it.
I'm also not saying "give the game away for free". People will still need to have a valid CD key, or a Steam or GoG purchase of the local client. I'm just arguing for the server code to be released.
This can easily be achived by a minor change in the law. I'm going to focus on the EU bloc because this is where I live, but it could be any big economy that enacts this.
"The video games industry is a significant economic sector. The EU27 video games market generated €23.48 billion of revenue in 2022." -- The EU.
An additional 0.25% tax on gaming would raise €58 million a year. On a €60 AAA game, that adds 15¢ to the purchase price
This money could be used to set up a central escrow agency in the EU. The task would be to curate the builds of DRM cracks or server code, and to ensure that each new build pushed passes testing and does what it says it does.
Then when the servers go dark, the escrow service is obliged to release the resource to the world, so the players can keep on playing.
Note that the escrow service would only contain the server software or cracks. It would not contain the original game client or assets. Those would still need to be obtained from the original install media or virtual store.
There should be heavy security on the escrow service and criminal penalties for the staff to prevent leaking of the server programs while the game is still being run by the original publisher.
I'm not even suggesting handing over databases of players and premium items they have bought with real world money. Nope, once the service goes down your specialist armours, mounts and mini-pets disappear.
Would there be a way to buy those items in the new servers? That's up to the politicians to decide. If so, real world money should be ruled out as this is a perverse incentive for the people hosting the new server instance.
But that's it. Once a company decides that they no longer wish to keep a game running, we the players should be allowed to continue playing the game we have paid for. It's not a big ask.