Ubisoft Is Revoking Access To The Crew, A Grim Sign For The Future Of Gaming

At the start of April, Ubisoft shut down online servers for The Crew. On the face of things, that’s not a surprise or something to be dramatically upset about - old game servers are shut off all the time, and there have been two more iterations of the series released since 2014’s original.

However, The Crew’s server shutdown is more significant than most, with the game an always-online title, requiring server access even if you’re only intending to play single-player modes. Unlike Gran Turismo Sport, which suffered a similar fate in January, there’s been no update to make the game accessible offline, leaving it unplayable.

This itself was already a worrying sign for gaming as a whole, bringing weight to the fears of many that a digital, online-only future could see publishers kill ageing games at a whim to cut costs or force players into buying newer games. However, things have gotten worse.

Although The Crew was delisted from digital storefronts in December, players who already owned the game had still been able to download it. Now, many are reporting that Ubisoft has revoked access completely.

As first covered by PC Gamer, Ubisoft Connect users are finding The Crew has been shifted to ‘inactive games’, with the message “You no longer have access to this game. Why not check the Store to pursue your adventures?".

A Reddit thread covering the topic has revealed users on other platforms are having the same issue. Those on Steam have been able to download the game, but an input key is requested when you attempt to load it. We’ve also tried accessing a digital copy of The Crew on Xbox consoles, but it's no longer showing in ‘Owned Games’.

We haven’t been able to access an End User Licence Agreement (EULA) for The Crew, which is in the vast majority of major games as a requirement you need to accept in order to play the title. Presumably, within that, Ubisoft gives itself a right to revoke that licence at any time.

In a statement to Car Throttle, Ubisoft said: "We announced on December 14, 2023 that after almost a decade of support, we would be decommissioning The Crew 1 on March 31, 2024. While we understand this may be disappointing for players, it was necessary due to server infrastructure and licensing constraints." We also asked if the EULA gave Ubisoft the right to revoke licence access, but it did not comment.

Whether it has that ability legally or not, it’s a very concerning sign for the future of gaming. Beyond simply losing access to a game you’ve rightfully paid for, it throws up concerns over future game preservation. By revoking licence access, it quashes any hopes of community-hosted servers and reeks of forcing players into purchasing a newer title that one day will also become unplayable.

Ubisoft’s treatment of The Crew has led to Stop Killing Games, a petition lobbying for governments worldwide to establish clear laws preventing publishers from being able to kill games in such a fashion. As organiser Ross Scott states, success could “have a ripple effect on the videogames industry to prevent publishers from destroying more games.” Let’s hope this movement can gain some serious momentum.