Ubisoft's The Crew Lawsuit Insists We Do Not Own The Games We Buy

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 was made in response to a lawsuit filed by two players of The Crew, upset over the game's shutdown last year.

The original The Crew, released in 2014, is now completely unplayable. As of the end of March 2024, the servers were shut down, rendering all versions of the game—whether physical, digital, or already owned—unusable. Ubisoft did provide offline versions for The Crew 2 and The Crew: Motorfest, but the same consideration was not extended to the first game.

At the end of last year, the two gamers initiated legal action against Ubisoft, arguing they believed they were "paying to own and possess the video game The Crew" rather than "paying for a limited license to use The Crew." They likened their situation to buying a pinball machine only to find it stripped of essential components years later.

According to Polygon, the lawsuit accuses 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. The gamers pointed out that the game's activation code was valid until 2099, suggesting to them that The Crew would remain playable for a long time.

Ubisoft, however, refutes these claims. Their legal team argued that the players were informed at the time of purchase that they were buying a license, not obtaining perpetual access to the game. They also noted that the Xbox and PlayStation packaging included a prominent warning that Ubisoft could terminate access to specific online features with 30 days' notice.

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

In response to such issues, digital marketplaces like Steam now explicitly warn customers that they are purchasing a license, not owning the game outright. This change follows a law signed by California Governor Gavin Newsom, which mandates clear disclosure of the licensing nature of digital media purchases. While this law does not stop companies from withdrawing access to content, it ensures consumers are informed about the nature of their purchase before buying.