In a move that has left the gaming community in an uproar, Ubisoft has taken the drastic step of revoking players’ access to their beloved 2014 racing game, The Crew, following the closure of the game’s servers last month.
The Crew, which relied heavily on online connectivity to function, officially shut down on March 31st, 2024, marking the end of an era for the game. However, Ubisoft’s latest actions go far beyond simply rendering the title unplayable – the publisher has now removed The Crew from players’ Ubisoft Connect libraries altogether.
Players who attempt to launch The Crew are now met with an error message informing them that they “no longer have access to this game.” The only suggestion offered is to “check the Store to pursue your adventures,” a prospect that many find unpalatable given the lack of guarantee that newly purchased games won’t suffer a similar fate.
This troubling development has sparked outrage among the gaming community, who are now questioning the very concept of digital ownership. The Crew’s removal from player libraries not only denies them the ability to continue playing a game they have purchased, but also potentially hinders any community-led efforts to reverse-engineer and maintain fan-operated servers.
Also removed from my account. I'm in EU.
Lawsuit time? pic.twitter.com/IxRj1lnIi6— Matthijs Gillot (@MMaRsu) April 11, 2024
Ubisoft has defended its decision, citing “server infrastructure and licensing constraints” as the reasons for decommissioning The Crew. However, the publisher’s refusal to offer full refunds to all players, instead limiting them only to those who have purchased the game “recently,” has done little to appease the concerns of its fanbase.
The situation surrounding The Crew’s closure has brought to the forefront the broader issue of digital game ownership. As more and more titles become reliant on online servers and services, the risk of players losing access to games they have paid for grows increasingly apparent.
In response to this predicament, YouTuber Ross Scott has launched the “Stop Killing Games” initiative, which aims to encourage grassroots pressure on governments and regulators to assert ownership rights over digital products. This movement highlights the growing need for legislative action to protect consumers in an era where the very games they purchase can be taken away at the whim of publishers.
Ubisoft’s decision to remove The Crew from player libraries has struck a nerve with the gaming community, reigniting the long-standing debate over the precarious nature of digital ownership. As the industry continues to evolve, the fate of The Crew serves as a cautionary tale, underscoring the importance of addressing the fundamental rights of consumers in the digital age.
