Ubisoft Sued Over The Crew: Players Don't Own Purchased Games

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 comes in response to a lawsuit initiated by two players of The Crew who challenged the company's decision to shut down the original racing game in 2023.

The 2014 release of The Crew became unplayable after Ubisoft turned off its servers completely at the end of March 2024. While Ubisoft took steps to create offline versions for The Crew 2 and The Crew: Motorfest, allowing continued play, no such measures were implemented for the original game.

Last year, the two gamers filed a lawsuit against Ubisoft, claiming they believed they were buying ownership of The Crew rather than a temporary license. They likened the situation to purchasing a pinball machine only to find its essential components removed later.

As reported by Polygon, the plaintiffs accused Ubisoft of breaching California's False Advertising Law, Unfair Competition Law, Consumer Legal Remedies Act, and engaging in common law fraud and breach of warranty. They also cited Ubisoft's violation of California's gift card law, which prohibits expiration dates on such items. Additionally, they presented images of the game's activation code, which does not expire until 2099, suggesting that The Crew should remain playable until that date and beyond.

In response, Ubisoft argued that the plaintiffs were informed at purchase that they were acquiring a license, not perpetual ownership. Ubisoft's lawyers noted that the game's packaging on Xbox and PlayStation included a prominent notice in all capital letters, stating that Ubisoft could cancel access to online features with a 30-day prior notice.

Ubisoft has filed a motion to dismiss the case, but if unsuccessful, the plaintiffs are seeking a jury trial. Meanwhile, digital marketplaces 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 signed by California Governor Gavin Newsom, which mandates clear disclosure to customers about the nature of their digital purchases. Although the law does not prevent companies from withdrawing access to content, it ensures that buyers are aware of the licensing terms before making a purchase.