French consumer group sues Ubisoft over shutdown of online game ‘The Crew’
Legal Action and Consumer Rights in the Ubisoft ‘The Crew’ Case

By Leo Marchandon

March 31 (Reuters) – France’s leading consumer association, UFC-Que Choisir, said on Tuesday it had filed a lawsuit against Ubisoft over the video game maker’s shutdown of online racing game “The Crew”.

Background of ‘The Crew’ Shutdown

The company delisted the title from digital marketplaces in December 2023 and shut down its servers on March 31, 2024, rendering the game permanently unplayable for all who had bought it.

Implications for Players and Digital Ownership

The case could have sweeping implications for millions of players worldwide: can a video game company simply “erase” a product consumers paid for by shutting down its servers?

Ubisoft did not immediately reply to a Reuters request for comment.

About ‘The Crew’ and Ubisoft’s Actions

“The Crew”, launched in 2014, was an open-world racing game allowing players to explore a scaled-down representation of the U.S. while engaging in multiplayer races and challenges. The game required an upfront purchase and offered in-game transactions for additional content.

License Revocation and Consumer Backlash

In April 2024, shortly after the servers were closed, Ubisoft began revoking licenses from customers without issuing refunds, sparking backlash over the precedent such actions could set for ownership of video games.

Ubisoft’s Position on Game Ownership

The company has said customers only bought a limited access to the game, not full ownership.

Consumer Group Allegations and European Response

UFC-Que Choisir alleges that Ubisoft misled consumers about the permanence of their purchase and imposed abusive contractual clauses stripping players of ownership rights.

The lawsuit is backed by European consumer movement “Stop Killing Games”, which was launched in response to “The Crew” controversy.

EU Review and Potential Outcomes

The citizens’ initiative, aimed at bringing the issue in front of the European Union, was launched in 2024 and presented to the European Commission last month with more than 1.3 million signatures.

That surpassed the threshold mandating a review by the EU executive, which is expected to present its findings by the end of July.

(Reporting by Leo Marchandon in Gdansk, editing by Milla Nissi-Prussak)