Ubisoft has made it clear that purchasing a game does not grant players "unfettered ownership rights" but rather a "limited license to access the game." This statement was part of Ubisoft's defense in a legal battle initiated by two players of The Crew who sued the company after the original racing game was shut down in 2023.
As of the end of March 2024, The Crew is no longer playable. Regardless of whether it was purchased physically or digitally, no version of the game can be played as the servers were completely shut down. While Ubisoft took steps to create offline versions for The Crew 2 and The Crew: Motorfest, no such efforts were made for the original game.
The legal action against Ubisoft was filed by two gamers who believed they were buying ownership of The Crew, not just a limited license. The lawsuit drew a vivid analogy, likening the situation to buying a pinball machine only to find essential parts missing years later. The claimants allege violations of California’s False Advertising Law, Unfair Competition Law, Consumer Legal Remedies Act, along with common law fraud and breach of warranty claims. They also pointed out that the game's activation code was advertised to not expire until 2099, suggesting a long-term playability.
In response, Ubisoft argued that the plaintiffs were informed at the time of purchase that they were acquiring a license, not perpetual ownership. Ubisoft's legal team emphasized that the game's packaging on Xbox and PlayStation included a prominent notice that the company could cancel access to online features with a 30-day notice.
Ubisoft has filed a motion to dismiss the case, but should the lawsuit proceed, the plaintiffs are seeking a jury trial. Meanwhile, platforms like Steam have updated their policies to explicitly inform customers that they are purchasing a license, not the game itself. This change follows a new law in California that requires digital marketplaces to clarify the nature of such purchases to consumers, though it does not prevent companies from eventually withdrawing access to the content.
