French Group Sues Ubisoft Over The Crew Shutdown

A French consumer rights group has filed a lawsuit against video game publisher Ubisoft, accusing the company of violating consumer protections by shutting down its 2014 racing title The Crew and rendering it unplayable for purchasers. The action, announced on March 31, 2026, before a French tribunal, centers on the game's server closure in March 2024 and subsequent license revocations, which left players without access to a product they had paid for, including expansions.

UFC-Que Choisir, France's leading consumer association founded in 1951, claims Ubisoft misled buyers by presenting The Crew as a permanent purchase while treating it as a revocable license. The group argues that the company's terms of service include abusive clauses allowing unilateral shutdowns without refunds or alternatives, infringing on fundamental rights to ownership and fair information. "Players were never fairly informed about the potentially temporary nature of access to the game they were buying," the organization stated in its filing. It seeks a court ruling to eliminate such clauses from sales contracts, compel Ubisoft to recognize collective harm to consumers, and establish clearer obligations...