Publisher forcibly removes game from Ubisoft Connect libraries
In what can only be seen as a fundamentally anti-consumer action, Ubisoft appear to have begun revoking licenses and completely removing The Crew from players’ libraries following the shuttering of the title’s servers last month. Many gamers have shared screenshots from their Ubisoft Connect accounts, containing the message, “You no longer have access to this game. Why not check the Store to pursue your adventures?”
Back in December 2023, Ubisoft announced that The Crew would be immediately delisted from digital storefronts, with its servers shutting down on March 31 this year. In practice, with the game being an online-only title, this later move rendered The Crew completely unplayable. Now it appears Ubisoft has decided to further wipe the title from existence.
If I can’t play it, why does it matter?
First of all, to have a game you’ve already paid for suddenly completely removed from your digital library is, to say the least, frustrating. And for Ubisoft — or any publisher, for that matter — to come in and erase it without consent would, and has, raised a massive red flag for people worried about games preservation and protection.
Yes, it’s true you wouldn’t be able to play The Crew at the moment, as things stand, but there are teams of smart people working away to restore access to many other delisted titles that, without their dedication, would be lost forever. We’ve already seen instances of titles being brought back from the dead in this way. And who’s to say the same couldn’t be done to save The Crew? However, that can only happen if these preservationists have access to the game files — which is what Ubisoft’s move to wholly remove access prevents.
How to get a refund for The Crew
Unfortunately for the vast majority of players, it looks as though Ubisoft will not be directly issuing refunds to anyone. Back in December, when the publisher first announced that the title would be delisted from digital storefronts and, later, its servers taken offline, there was compensation paid to gamers who’d “recently” purchased it, but even that doesn’t appear to be the approach Ubisoft is taking this time.
There have been very limited reports from people online claiming they’ve successfully claimed refunds on The Crew from platform holders, most notably one person who seems to have received a full reimbursement from PlayStation, despite buying the game nine years prior.
One other potential avenue for refunds, albeit a long-term approach, could be through the Stop Killing Games initiative, “dedicated to real-world action on ending the practice of publishers destroying videogames they have sold to customers.” Nothing is certain, but the larger the support SKG receives, the better chance they have of protecting customers against actions like this in future. Visit their site if you’re interested in supporting them, or specifically reading more about their stance on Ubisoft’s treatment of The Crew players.
