Ubisoft has firmly stated that purchasing a game does not grant players "unfettered ownership rights" but rather a "limited license to access the game."
This statement was made in response to a lawsuit filed by two players of The Crew after Ubisoft shut down the original racing game in 2023. As of the end of March 2024, The Crew is no longer playable in any form, whether physical or digital, and all servers have been permanently shut down.
While Ubisoft took steps to develop offline versions for The Crew 2 and The Crew: Motorfest, allowing continued play, no such measures were implemented for the original game.
Last year, two gamers filed a lawsuit against Ubisoft, asserting that they believed they were buying permanent ownership of The Crew rather than a temporary license. The lawsuit likened the situation to purchasing a pinball machine that later becomes unplayable due to missing parts.According to Polygon, the plaintiffs claimed Ubisoft breached California's False Advertising Law, Unfair Competition Law, and Consumer Legal Remedies Act, along with common law fraud and breach of warranty. They also argued that Ubisoft violated California's gift card laws, which prohibit expiration dates. The plaintiffs presented evidence showing that the activation code for The Crew was valid until 2099, suggesting long-term playability.
Ubisoft's legal team countered these claims, stating that consumers were clearly informed at the time of purchase that they were acquiring a license, not ownership. They highlighted that Xbox and PlayStation packaging explicitly warned, in capital letters, of potential service cancellations with a 30-day notice.
Ubisoft has moved to dismiss the lawsuit, but if unsuccessful, the plaintiffs are seeking a jury trial.
In light of such disputes, digital marketplaces like Steam now display clear warnings that customers are buying a license, not a game. This follows a new law signed by California Governor Gavin Newsom, mandating digital marketplaces to clarify the licensing nature of digital purchases. However, this law does not prevent companies from discontinuing access to content; it simply requires them to inform customers about the licensing terms upfront.
