Ubisoft, known for developing Assassin’s Creed Shadows, is now facing legal action from gamers following the shutdown of its popular game The Crew. This lawsuit adds to a tumultuous period for the company, which recently delayed the release of its highly-anticipated game Assassin’s Creed Shadows to 2025.
Ubisoft announced on September 25 that the release date had been postponed due to “weak performance for the new game Star Wars Outlaws and lower-than-expected profit in the most recent quarter” The company’s viability has been called into doubt as a result of the delay. Tencent and the family of Ubisoft’s co-founder and CEO, Yves Guillemot, are reportedly in the process of considering the acquisition of the developer, according to reports.
The controversy began after Ubisoft shut down the servers for the original The Crew game in December 2023, though players were still able to access the game until March 31. Since that time, the game’s critical features have progressively ceased to function, resulting in frustration among its devoted player base.
Two California-based gamers have now brought Ubisoft to court over the shutdown. Their lawsuit reads: “Imagine you buy a pinball machine, and years later, you enter your den to go play it, only to discover that all the paddles are missing, the pinball and bumpers are gone, and the monitor that proudly displayed your unassailable high score is removed.”
The lawsuit continues, “Turns out the pinball manufacturer decided to come into your home, gut the insides of the pinball machine, and remove your ability to play the game that you bought and thought you owned.”
Despite the current challenges, Ubisoft is preparing for the release of Assassin’s Creed Shadows, now set for February 2025 following a delay from its original November 15th release date.
