Fans of The Crew will recall that publisher Ubisoft took the major step of shutting down the always-online racing title back in March. This action rendered both physical and digital copies of the game useless, along with any downloadable content that players had purchased. While it’s not uncommon for racing games to be delisted due to the expiration of real-world car licenses, it raises serious concerns when a company actively disables a product that customers have already paid for. Fortunately, Ubisoft appears to be reconsidering its approach and intends to better handle the future of The Crew 2 and The Crew Motorfest.
We heard your concerns about access to The Crew games
Today, we want to express our commitment to the future of The Crew 2 and The Crew Motorfest.
We can confirm an offline mode to ensure long term access to both titles, stay tuned for more news in the next months. pic.twitter.com/KDlz8h09OT
— The Crew Motorfest (@TheCrewGame) September 10, 2024
On Tuesday, the official X account for The Crew addressed player concerns, stating, “Today, we want to express our commitment to the future of The Crew 2 and The Crew Motorfest. We can confirm an offline mode to ensure long-term access to both titles. Stay tuned for more news in the coming months.”
This announcement suggests that, unlike the first installment, the sequels will receive updates that enable offline play before their servers are eventually shut down. This change ensures that players will still be able to enjoy the games in single-player mode for the foreseeable future, which is what many have been advocating for.
While it’s regrettable that game servers are temporary and require financial support to operate, there should always be a backup plan in place for when the inevitable end of live service arrives. Earlier this year, Gran Turismo Sport implemented a similar solution, illustrating the need for developers and publishers to prepare for these eventualities as gaming increasingly relies on online connectivity.
In the case of The Crew, it has been reported that fans discovered an offline mode hidden within the game files that Ubisoft chose not to activate. The challenge posed by aging racing games involves not only server issues but also the expiration of automotive licenses. It’s possible that the licensing agreements for the first The Crew had run out, leading Ubisoft to see little benefit in renewing them for a title that was a decade old. However, since The Crew 2 and Motorfest are still operational, Ubisoft has the opportunity to put measures in place that will allow these games to be enjoyed by fans long after their online features have ceased.
Overall, this is a positive outcome for players. Nevertheless, The Crew won’t be the last game to be discontinued by its publisher. For those interested in advocating for better consumer protections, I encourage them to visit StopKillingGames.com. Here, European readers can sign a legal petition aimed at securing consumer rights against publishers who design games to cease functioning after a predetermined date. Unfortunately, no similar legal initiatives are underway in the United States or Canada at this time, but achieving success in one region could set a key precedent that influences markets worldwide.
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