Major French consumer group files lawsuit against Ubisoft over The Crew's shutdown

France’s biggest consumer group, UFC-Que Choisir, has joined the fight against Ubisoft’s decision to shut down. The crew is filing a lawsuit against the publisher, accusing it of infringing on consumer rights by failing to provide alternative access to the racing title.

The details:

• Back in March 2024, Ubisoft announced that it would be shutting down the online servers for its 2014 racing game. The Crew, leaving the always-online title completely inaccessible for all players due to a lack of offline support. As a result, the closure was the center of controversy and discussion surrounding game preservation and ownership, eventually leading to legal action from various groups and individuals.
• Now, UFC-Que Choisir, France’s leading consumer group, has filed a new lawsuit against the publisher over the shutdown. According to a statement posted to its website, the group aims to get a definitive legal answer on whether or not Ubisoft has infringed on the rights of consumers by leaving their product unusable.
• The group claims that Ubisoft is not only in the wrong for not offering refunds or alternative ways to play The Crew but also for failing to make it clearer to players that the game will not be playable. It also questions whether companies should be able to sell licenses for games that can be revoked while players are under the impression that they will own the title.
• Stop Killing Games, a game preservation movement founded by YouTuber Ross Scott, aka Accursed Farms, shortly after The Crew’s shutdown, has backed the lawsuit. The group’s petitions, which received over 1.5 million signatures, have made it to both the UK and European Parliament, even being supported by politicians.