In April 2024, Ubisoft’s The Crew was rendered completely unplayable by the removal of its server infrastructure. From players who’d purchased the game, there was an immediate, loud uproar. One even began a “Stop Killing Games” campaign which aimed to rally global gaming fans against “the assault on both consumer rights and preservation of media” that is game delisting.
Ubisoft certainly heard the outcry, as in a new showcase detailing the future of The Crew, the studio has confirmed The Crew 2 and The Crew Motorfest will get offline modes in future, to ensure “long-term access” even with the complication of vehicle, livery, and music licenses.
“We want to acknowledge that some of you have voiced concerns about the access to The Crew games,” Stéphane Beley, senior creative director of The Crew said.
“Today, we want to express our commitment to the future of The Crew 2 and The Crew Motorfest. We are currently exploring different solutions, and can confirm an offline mode to ensure long-term access to both titles.”
Read: The Crew Motorfest is an open world superhero car game
While exact plans have not been made clear yet, Ubisoft has certainly heard the complaints around The Crew, and is seemingly hoping to avoid similar issues with The Crew 2 and The Crew Motorfest.
The reasons for this announcement are likely commercial – if players think a game will be delisted and unplayable in a few years, why would they purchase the game in the first place? But regardless, formal offline modes are a great step for the franchise, and for game preservation.
The Crew franchise maintains a passionate fanbase, despite the furore around the original game’s delisting, and with The Crew 2 approaching six years in action, there were plenty of heated debates about its future. The official announcement of an offline mode for both The Crew 2 and its successor has seemingly arrived just in time for those fans ready to fight for their game ownership.
In the months ahead, we expect Ubisoft will detail its offline mode plans in more detail, revealing what players can expect, and how it will change up the games. Given the timing, we do expect The Crew 2 will get this offline treatment sooner, rather than later, but we’ll have to stay patient to see what Ubisoft has planned.
