Ubisoft Sued for The Crew Rights

Ubisoft has clarified that purchasing a game does not grant players unrestricted ownership rights, but rather provides a "limited license to access the game."

The company made these statements while seeking to dismiss a lawsuit filed by two dissatisfied The Crew players, who took legal action after the original racing game was discontinued last year.

The 2014 version of The Crew is no longer playable. Whether physical or digital—including existing copies—the game cannot be purchased or played in any way, as servers were fully shut down by March 2024.

Ubisoft introduced offline modes for The Crew 2 and its successor The Crew: Motorfest, offering continued access for players, but no such update was provided for the original title.

Last year, two gamers took Ubisoft to court, claiming they had believed they were "paying to own The Crew permanently," rather than acquiring a limited-term license.

"Imagine buying a pinball machine and, years later, walking into your game room to find the paddles missing, the ball and bumpers gone, and the high score screen removed," the original lawsuit stated.

As reported by Polygon, the plaintiffs accused Ubisoft of breaching California’s False Advertising Law, Unfair Competition Law, Consumer Legal Remedies Act, as well as committing "common law fraud and breach of warranty." They also argued that Ubisoft violated state rules regarding non-expiring gift cards.

The claimants further pointed to images showing the game's activation code with an expiration date of 2099, which they claimed implied the game "would remain playable during and beyond that period."

Unsurprisingly, Ubisoft disputes these allegations.

"Plaintiffs claim they bought physical copies of The Crew believing they would have permanent, unrestricted access. They also object that Ubisoft did not release an 'offline, single-player patch' when servers were taken offline in March 2024," Ubisoft's legal team wrote.

"The core argument is that Ubisoft allegedly misled buyers into thinking they were purchasing full ownership rights, not a limited license. In reality, customers received what they paid for and were clearly informed at the time of purchase that they were buying a license."

The response also notes that Xbox and PlayStation packaging included "a prominent, all-caps notice stating that Ubisoft may discontinue access to certain online features with 30 days’ notice."

Ubisoft has now filed a motion to dismiss the case. Should the lawsuit proceed, the plaintiffs have requested a jury trial.

Platforms such as Steam now include upfront notices informing customers that they are purchasing a license, not the game itself. This change came after California Governor Gavin Newsom signed legislation requiring digital marketplaces to clarify that media purchases only grant a license.

It’s important to note that the new law does not prevent companies from revoking access to content, but it does mandate transparency about the nature of the purchase before customers complete their transaction.