Ubisoft’s Legal Team Claims Players Never Owned The Crew

Ubisoft, the renowned French gaming publisher, is at the heart of a legal debate about game ownership that’s been catching attention lately. According to Ubisoft’s lawyers, simply purchasing a game doesn’t mean you own it outright.

The backdrop is a class action lawsuit initiated by gamers in California. The controversy ignited when Ubisoft decided to shut down “The Crew” in 2024, a full decade after the game was initially released. Since the game required an online connection to function, pulling the plug effectively rendered it unplayable, leaving many fans upset.

Ubisoft’s legal team addressed this in a motion to dismiss the lawsuit. They mentioned, “Frustrated with Ubisoft’s recent decision to retire the game following a notice period delineated on the product’s packaging, Plaintiffs apply a kitchen sink approach on behalf of a putative class of nationwide customers, alleging eight causes of action including violations of California’s False Advertising Law, Unfair Competition Law, and Consumer Legal Remedies Act, as well as common law fraud and breach of warranty claims,” as highlighted in an article by Polygon.

Undeterred, the plaintiffs have updated their complaint to include an intriguing angle: they argue that because players were left with unused virtual currency when “The Crew” went offline, Ubisoft might have violated a state law demanding that gift cards remain valid indefinitely. The success of this argument hinges on whether in-game currency can legally be counted as gift cards. This development adds another layer to an already complex legal battle.