French consumer group UFC-Que Choisir has filed a lawsuit against Ubisoft over the shutdown of The Crew, a 2014 racing game. The legal action challenges the publisher's contractual practices, arguing they deny consumer rights. This case represents growing pushback against video game companies that treat purchases as revocable licenses rather than owned products.

Ubisoft maintains players purchase limited licenses that can be revoked at any time, not actual games. UFC-Que Choisir aims to end these "harmful practices," force removal of problematic clauses from contracts, and make Ubisoft acknowledge collective harm to consumers. The lawsuit highlights tensions between publishers and players over digital ownership rights.

This case emerges from the Stop Killing Games movement, which protests premature game closures. The Crew launched just nine years ago, yet Ubisoft ended its online services. The outcome could reshape how the industry approaches digital game preservation and consumer expectations for purchases that remain functional over time.