Ubisoft, the well-known French game publisher, finds itself in the middle of a legal tussle over the age-old question: do players truly own the games they purchase? According to their legal team, the answer leans towards "no."
In an attempt to dismiss a class action lawsuit filed by a group of gamers in California, Ubisoft’s lawyers pointed out the dissatisfaction among players triggered by the company’s decision to shut down one of its games. The game in question, The Crew, went offline in 2024, a decade after it hit the shelves. Since it requires a constant online connection, the game is now unplayable.
Ubisoft’s legal representatives argued against the suit, which charges the company with a slew of legal violations like California’s False Advertising Law, Unfair Competition Law, and Consumer Legal Remedies Act, along with accusations of common law fraud and breach of warranty. "Faced with our decision to retire the game, which we announced in advance as noted on the product packaging, plaintiffs have sued on behalf of a prospective class of consumers nationwide," they wrote in their motion to dismiss, as reported by Polygon.
In response, the plaintiffs have reworked their complaint. This time, they’ve raised concerns about leftover in-game currency that players couldn’t use after the closure of The Crew. They’re arguing that this might violate state laws regarding the perpetual validity of gift cards—provided they can convincingly equate in-game currency to gift cards. It’s a bold claim, but who knows how it will play out in court?
