Ubisoft has addressed the lawsuit involving The Crew by rejecting claims that players possessed "unfettered ownership" of the game

A variety of vehicles depicted in an open-world setting from The Crew

Ubisoft has initiated a motion to dismiss a class action lawsuit filed in California concerning the termination of the 2014 racing game, The Crew. The game's discontinuation led to claims of misrepresentation by gaming company Ubisoft, as detailed in a lawsuit referenced by GamesIndustry.biz.

Represented by legal experts at Paul Hastings LLP, Ubisoft's response—reported by Polygon—states that the plaintiffs wrongly assumed they were purchasing complete ownership rather than a licensed access to the game.

The plaintiffs, expressing dissatisfaction over Ubisoft's decision to retire the game post a notice period advertised on its packaging, invoked issues such as breaches of California’s False Advertising Law and Unfair Competition Law, among others. Ubisoft argues these claims exceed the four-year statute of limitations, being filed long after plaintiffs Alan Liu and Matthew Cassell purchased the game in late 2018 and early 2020 respectively.

The game's delisting was announced in December 2023, with servers officially going offline in March 2024, prompting Ubisoft to affirm that the game's packaging clearly communicated its licensing terms to users. The company also emphasized that the plaintiffs had extensive access to the game before its closure and cannot claim deception over the absence of an offline variant.

Despite the original game's discontinuation, Ubisoft did respond to community demands by introducing offline modes for The Crew 2 and The Crew Motorfest in September 2024. These adjustments, however, did not apply to The Crew released in 2014.

The plaintiffs, amid their legal battle, have filed an amended complaint, arguing against the time-barred claims by noting that the game's permanent shutdown was only revealed in late 2023, and they cited California laws regarding gift cards in connection with the game's digital currency. Additionally, an image of the game’s packaging purportedly showed a digital code expiration date in 2099, suggesting indefinite availability.

According to the latest reports, the revised complaint includes nine allegations of misconduct, with Ubisoft required to formulate a response by April 29, 2025. This legal engagement highlights the growing complexities in defining game ownership in the digital era, especially after a 2024 California law that precludes digital stores from using terms like 'buy' when selling access licenses.