Ubisoft Sued Over The Crew: You Don't Own Bought Games

Ubisoft has firmly stated that purchasing a game does not grant players "unfettered ownership rights," but rather provides a "limited license to access the game." This assertion came to light as the company moved to dismiss a lawsuit filed by two disgruntled players of The Crew. These players had taken legal action after Ubisoft shut down the original racing game in 2023.

As of 2014, The Crew is no longer playable. All versions of the game, whether physical, digital, or previously owned, became inaccessible with the servers going dark completely at the end of March 2024. Ubisoft made efforts to develop offline versions for The Crew 2 and its sequel, The Crew: Motorfest, allowing continued play, but no such provision was made for the original title.

Toward the end of last year, two gamers took Ubisoft to court, asserting they believed they were "paying to own and possess the video game The Crew" rather than acquiring a limited license. They likened the situation to purchasing a pinball machine only to find its components removed years later, rendering it unplayable.

According to Polygon, the plaintiffs accused Ubisoft of breaching California’s False Advertising Law, Unfair Competition Law, and Consumer Legal Remedies Act, along with charges of "common law fraud and breach of warranty." They also argued that Ubisoft violated California's state law regarding gift cards, which are not allowed to expire. The gamers presented images of the activation code for the game, which indicated an expiration date in 2099, suggesting to them that The Crew would remain playable until then and beyond.

Ubisoft, however, refutes these claims. The company's lawyers argue that the plaintiffs purchased physical copies under the misconception of obtaining "unfettered access to the game in perpetuity." They further noted that Ubisoft did not create an offline, single-player option for The Crew upon server shutdown in March 2024. Ubisoft maintains that consumers were informed at the time of purchase that they were acquiring a license, not ownership rights, and that both Xbox and PlayStation packaging clearly stated in capital letters that Ubisoft could terminate access to specific online features with 30 days' notice.

Ubisoft has filed a motion to dismiss the case, with the plaintiffs seeking a jury trial if the motion fails. Meanwhile, platforms like Steam have begun to explicitly inform customers that they are purchasing a license, not the game itself, following a new law signed by California governor Gavin Newsom. This law mandates digital marketplaces to clarify that customers are buying licenses to media, although it does not stop companies from revoking access to content.