Ubisoft is facing legal action in France over the shutdown of its online racing game The Crew. According to a report by the news agency Reuters, a French consumer group has filed a lawsuit that questions the game’s digital ownership and player rights.
France’s consumer association UFC-Que Choisir said it had taken the matter to court following the game’s removal and server shutdown, which made it unplayable for users who had purchased it.Ubisoft delisted The Crew from digital stores in December 2023 and shut down its servers on March 31, 2024. The move effectively ended access to the game, despite it being sold as a paid title. The company has maintained that players purchased limited access rather than full ownership.
What French consumer group said about Ubisoft in the lawsuit
UFC-Que Choisir has alleged that Ubisoft misled consumers about how long the game would remain accessible and included contractual terms that removed ownership rights, Reuters reported. The case centres on whether a company can “erase” a product that users have paid for by discontinuing online support.The Crew, released in 2014, allowed players to explore a scaled-down version of the United States while participating in multiplayer races and activities.
The game required an upfront purchase and also offered in-game transactions. Following the shutdown, Ubisoft reportedly began revoking user licenses without issuing refunds, prompting criticism from players and consumer groups.The lawsuit is backed by a European campaign, named “Stop Killing Games,” which was initiated in response to this controversy, according to a Reuters report. The campaign has collected over 1.3 million signatures, enough to trigger a review by the European Commission, with a response due by the end of July. There has been no official word from Ubisoft on this lawsuit so far.
