Ubisoft Legal Team Asserts Players Never Owned The Crew

Ubisoft’s legal team, representing the prominent French video game publisher, recently asserted that there’s no basis for players to expect ownership of a game just because they bought it.

This stance came to light during their attempt to dismiss a class action filed in California by a group of gamers. The issue arose when Ubisoft decided to take “The Crew” offline in 2024, a full decade after its launch. Due to its reliance on an online connection, the game is now impossible to play.

The dismissal motion, highlighted by Polygon, details Ubisoft’s perspective: “Irritated by Ubisoft’s recent choice to retire the game after a clearly stated notice period stapled on the product’s packaging, the plaintiffs bring forth a mixed bag of allegations. They represent a proposed nationwide class, accusing us of eight different violations. These include breaches of California’s False Advertising Law, Unfair Competition Law, Consumer Legal Remedies Act, plus claims of common law fraud and breach of warranty.”

In response, the plaintiffs have revised their complaint, contending that Ubisoft may have violated state laws by not honoring unspent in-game currency when “The Crew” was shuttered. The crux of their argument hinges on whether in-game currency could be equated with gift cards, which are legally required to retain their value indefinitely.