Ubisoft Sued Over The Crew: Buyers Don't Own Games

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 legal challenge brought by two dissatisfied players of The Crew, who sued the company after it discontinued the original racing game in 2023. As of the end of March 2024, The Crew became unplayable across all formats—physical, digital, and pre-owned—with the game's servers being permanently shut down.

While Ubisoft took steps to develop offline versions for The Crew 2 and its sequel The Crew: Motorfest, allowing continued gameplay, no such efforts were made for the original game.

At the close of last year, the two gamers initiated legal action against Ubisoft, asserting that they believed they were purchasing permanent ownership of The Crew, not merely a limited license.

The lawsuit likened the situation to buying a pinball machine only to find it stripped of essential components years later. 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 claimed that Ubisoft violated California's gift card law, which prohibits expiration dates.

Evidence presented included images showing the game's activation code valid until 2099, suggesting to the plaintiffs that The Crew would remain playable well into the future.

Ubisoft's legal team countered these claims, arguing that the plaintiffs were fully aware at the time of purchase that they were acquiring a license, not perpetual ownership. They pointed out that the Xbox and PlayStation packaging clearly stated, in capital letters, that Ubisoft could terminate access to online features with 30 days' notice.

Ubisoft has moved to dismiss the case, but should the motion fail, the plaintiffs are seeking a jury trial.

In light of such disputes, digital marketplaces like Steam have begun to explicitly inform customers that they are purchasing a license, not a game. This change follows a new California law, signed by Governor Gavin Newsom, mandating digital marketplaces to clarify the nature of digital purchases. While this law does not stop companies from withdrawing access to content, it ensures consumers are aware of the licensing terms before making a purchase.