Ubisoft, the well-known French game publisher, is currently embroiled in a legal tussle that centers on game ownership. According to Ubisoft’s legal team, buying a game doesn’t necessarily mean players own it outright.
This issue arose during a move to dismiss a class action lawsuit in California. The lawsuit, filed by gamers, stems from Ubisoft’s decision to shut down The Crew in 2024. This decision rendered the game unplayable due to its requirement for an online connection—despite the game being released a decade ago.
Ubisoft’s legal representatives argued that players were upset by the game’s closure, although they had been informed about this possibility via a notice on the product’s packaging. In their motion to dismiss, they described the lawsuit as presenting a wide range of claims. The suit accuses Ubisoft of eight legal violations, including breaching California’s False Advertising Law, Unfair Competition Law, and the Consumer Legal Remedies Act. It also includes allegations of common law fraud and breach of warranty, as reported by Polygon.
In response, the plaintiffs have revised their complaint. They’ve now included a claim concerning the unspent in-game currency of The Crew’s players at the time of its shutdown. They contend that Ubisoft might have violated state laws, particularly those requiring gift cards to have an indefinite validity. However, this argument hinges on whether in-game currency can be classified similarly to a gift card.
