Ubisoft faces legal backlash over the crew shutdown

French consumer group UFC-Que Choisir has filed a lawsuit against Ubisoft, accusing the publisher of engaging in deceptive practices by selling The Crew without clearly informing customers that access to the game's online features could be revoked at any time.

Ubisoft's defense sparks controversy

The company previously argued that players purchased a limited-use license rather than owning the game outright, and that they had enjoyed The Crew for over a decade before complaining about its shutdown.

However, this stance has been widely criticized by consumer advocates like Stop Killing Games, which is pushing for legislation to protect gamers from such practices.

Stop Killing Games claims that Ubisoft's closure of The Crew servers constitutes a violation of consumer rights, and that players should have been offered alternatives, such as offline modes or the ability to create private servers.

The lawsuit, which has the backing of Stop Killing Games, follows a similar case filed in California. Ubisoft has responded to both legal actions, but has not commented specifically on the UFC-Que Choisir complaint.

As the controversy continues to unfold, the fate of The Crew and the gaming community's rights remain uncertain.