When Ubisoft announced that it would be shutting down the servers for its multiplayer motorsport game The Crew 2 in 2024, they faced heavy backlash from fans. This was, after all, an online game, and without servers that would make the game unplayable.
The Stop Killing Games Initiative takes issue with exactly this kind of situation, criticising developers and publishers who stop supporting games as soon as they cease to be profitable, making them unplayable to the audiences who have connected with the experience.
Recently, Ubisoft’s decision to add a The Crew 2 Hybrid Mode, which enables players to opt for an offline mode when they boot up the game, is being heralded as a big step forward for Stop Killing Games.
The Crew 2 Hybrid Mode
Helldivers 2 launched in early 2024 and has been pointed to repeatedly as a strong example of a live service success story. Since its original release on PS5 and PC, it’s also come to Xbox and has seen numerous updates and a consistently strong playerbase.
However, as with all live service games, it’s difficult to imagine this success lasting indefinitely, and that means it’ll get to a point where support is pulled from the game – which, for an online game, will mean the end of it. It’s difficult to find a consistent solution; an offline alternative would rob the game of what people find enjoyable about these games, but continuing to support the servers when the game is no longer profitable can put developers in a difficult situation.
Yet, the sheer amount of popular support that Stop Killing Games received in light of how Ubisoft originally handled the server cancellation of The Crew 2 speaks to how many agree with the cause.
Over one million players signed the Stop Killing Games petition in an attempt to save The Crew 2’s game development.
In response to Ubisoft’s surprise move, the Stop Killing Games X account posted: “A little late to the news, but this is due to pressure from #StopKillingGames early on while the European Citizens’ Initiative was launching in 2024.”
Stop Killing Games creator Ross Scott added: “Ubisoft announced that they’re going to add offline modes to The Crew 2 and The Crew Motorfest. Which honestly doesn’t change our plans – or anything that we’re doing at all.”
If this continues, it might be that game studios need to consider what games might need to look like as a more permanent product, beyond the lifespan that they’d originally planned for.
Stop Killing Games’ Long Term Goals
The official website for the initiative focuses primarily on the EU and the UK, but it also draws awareness to other parts of the world where support has helped to make a difference.
The release of The Crew 2’s Hybrid Mode is also important for Ubisoft – granting them an opportunity to cast themselves in a positive light after a string of recent, negative press attached to their name.
Perhaps, seeing how much of a positive impact that this kind of community-focused decision-making can have on brand perception, other studios might look to follow suit. Customer loyalty is more important than ever when audiences are questioning why they should pay increasing prices for hardware, software and subscription services.
