Did you think you had the games in your digital library? UFC-Que Choisir intends to prove the opposite by taking Ubisoft to court following the sudden deactivation of the racing game The Crew. A complaint that could disrupt the entire economic model of the video game industry.
The consumer association UFC-Que Choisir has officially filed a summons with the Créteil judicial court against the French giant Ubisoft. The reason for this legal anger? The pure and simple killing of the first part of The Crew. Remember, released in 2014 and with 12 million followers at its peak, the title saw its servers permanently disconnected in April 2024, causing a widespread outcry.
If the closure of online services for old titles is unfortunately commonplace, this specific case crystallizes the frustration of an entire community. By cutting off network access, the publisher has made its entire work unplayable, including the single-player mode which allowed you to ride quietly in your corner. Overnight, a legally purchased product was transformed into a vulgar digital paperweight, reigniting the explosive debate on the true nature of our virtual acquisitions, and even leading to legal action initiated by two Californian players.
Ownership or disguised rental? The industry model in the dock
For UFC-Que Choisir, the red line has been crossed. The organization denounces commercial practices deemed ” misleading » and contractual clauses « abusive HAS”. The angle of attack is formidable: it involves contesting the fact that Ubisoft, like almost all players in the sector, believes that customers do not buy a game, but a simple ” user license » révocable à tout moment. The plaintiffs accuse the firm of having marketed a work without ever clearly informing the buyer of its potential ” expiry date “, all while refusing to grant the slightest reimbursement once the curtain comes down.
This legal offensive does not come out of nowhere. It operates with the official support of the NGO “ Stop Killing Games » (Stop killing video games). Initiated by YouTuber Ross Scott, this citizen revolt has already collected more thanone million signatures last year across Europe. The Crew stands out as the ideal candidate for this test trial: a radical end of life without offline patch, a massive number of victims, and a company subject to European law. The stated objective is to obtain a pioneering decision forcing publishers to guarantee the preservation of our video game heritage.
Faced with the accusations, Ubisoft sticks to its positions. During the general meeting last July, its CEO Yves Guillemot justified this choice by the technical and financial burden of maintaining network infrastructures. His philosophy is summed up in one sentence: multiplayer is a service, “ nothing is eternal »and above all: video games do not belong to you. The brand also relies on a purely contractual detail: the game boxes included a warning, written in small print, mentioning that the servers could close with one month’s notice.
The challenge for the magistrates will be to determine whether this Lilliputian mention is enough to clear the Breton giant. If French justice rules in favor of UFC-Que Choisir, the shock wave will go far beyond Ubisoft’s studios. It is the entirety of PC and console distribution, including behemoths like Steam, which could be forced to guarantee that a paid game remains a playable game. In the event of victory, we imagine that the studios could be forced to define a lifespan for their game as soon as it is launched, so that players are at least warned in advance.
