By The European consumer-protection drive “Stop Killing Games” crossed the one-million-signature mark earlier this month, momentum born from Ubisoft’s 2024 shut-off of its racer, The Crew. At a recent investors briefing, Ubisoft head Yves Guillemot fielded questions about the petition. His reply was guarded, yet it stopped short of outright rejection.
“On the petition, we’re active within a market,” Guillemot stated, as Game File reports (subscription required). “Each time we launch a title we supply substantial backing, plus round-the-clock services so the title stays available and playable at all hours.”
Guillemot claims the studio offers “details on how long the title is operable,” though he offered no clarity on the mechanism behind those disclosures. The Crew’s packaging did bear a front-of-box notice of “online connection required” and rear fine print stating “Ubisoft may withdraw access to some online functions on thirty-days’ notice.” Whether such language satisfies EU legislation may well be tested once the Stop Killing Games petition officially ends later this month.
Further, Guillemot invoked “a €1 charge for everyone who bought the game. For a single euro they could secure the next iteration.” As Game File highlights, this appears to reference a 2024 sale that reduced The Crew 2 to €1/$1 on several storefronts.
“That’s a token amount to keep playing,” Guillemot remarked. Whether he glossed over the nuance or the firm’s translated transcript missed it, purchasing a successor at a steep discount is hardly equivalent to retaining access to the copy you already own.
“Still, this dilemma isn’t unique to Ubisoft,” Guillemot adds. “Every game firm faces it. You offer a service, yet nothing is carved in eternity; eventually the plug must be pulled. Nothing lasts forever. We strive to keep the experience positive for every player and buyer, because of course indefinite support is impossible.”
It’s indisputable that indefinite upkeep isn’t realistic; Stop Killing Games, however, isn’t petitioning for ceaseless updates. Per its FAQ, it wants publishers to “deploy an exit strategy—patches or alterations—allowing purchasers to run locally after servers go dark.” Ubisoft itself seems partly receptive: it has already pledged an offline alternative for The Crew 2. The original Crew remains doomed, as do other closed Ubisoft titles such as XDefiant.
“Any piece of software tied to online functions will one day go offline,” Guillemot reasons. “Many solutions reach obsolescence in ten to fifteen years—they vanish. Hence we move to sequels one, two, and three. Evidently, it’s a broad challenge, and we are tackling it.”