Ubisoft has made it clear that purchasing a game does not grant players "unfettered ownership rights" to it, but rather a "limited license to access the game." This statement comes in response to a legal challenge from two disgruntled players of The Crew, who sued Ubisoft after the company shut down the original racing game in 2023.
As of the end of March 2024, The Crew is no longer playable in any form—be it physical or digital. Ubisoft did take steps to develop offline versions for The Crew 2 and The Crew: Motorfest, allowing continued play for those titles, but no such effort was extended to the original game.
In late 2023, the two gamers filed a lawsuit against Ubisoft, arguing they were misled into believing they were "paying to own and possess the video game The Crew" rather than just securing "a limited license to use The Crew." The lawsuit drew a colorful analogy, comparing the situation to buying a pinball machine only to find its essential components removed years later.
According to Polygon, the plaintiffs accused Ubisoft of breaching California’s False Advertising Law, Unfair Competition Law, and Consumer Legal Remedies Act, alongside claims of common law fraud and breach of warranty. They further argued that Ubisoft violated California's state law on gift cards, which prohibits expiration dates. The gamers presented evidence showing that the game's activation code was valid until 2099, suggesting to them that The Crew would remain playable well into the future.
Ubisoft, in its defense, countered that the plaintiffs had been fully informed at the time of purchase that they were acquiring a license, not ownership. The company's legal team emphasized that the Xbox and PlayStation packaging included a prominent warning—in all capital letters—that Ubisoft could terminate access to specific online features with 30 days' notice.
Ubisoft has moved to dismiss the lawsuit, but should this motion fail, the plaintiffs are ready to proceed to a jury trial.
It's also worth noting that platforms like Steam have adapted to new regulations. Following a law signed by California Governor Gavin Newsom, digital marketplaces must now explicitly inform customers that they are purchasing a license, not the game itself. Although this law does not prevent companies from withdrawing access to content, it mandates transparency about the nature of the purchase before the transaction is completed.
