Ubisoft has recently decided to hit the The Crew killswitch, removing the racing game’s online functionality. Following a ton of community backlash, one player decided to ask for a refund of their PlayStation copy nine years after originally purchasing it—and it seems like they actually got it after asking.
The player shared this information on The Crew 2‘s subreddit on Monday, Apr. 8, with the allegedly-refunded gamer claiming they purchased the original title in 2015. “I didn’t play the game that much since then, and on March 31 after nine years, I contacted PlayStation Support to get me a refund because the game is not working anymore,” they wrote. The user was surprised by PlayStation’s move, which granted them a full refund of $95—they had purchased The Crew Gold Edition in February 2015. The situation has caused major figures in gaming, like Mutahar Anas of SomeOrdinaryGamers, to prompt players to confirm the user’s claims and (if it is possible) for others to do the same to “pressure Ubisoft.”
Players are now hoping Ubisoft will feel the pressure from players requesting refunds for their purchases of The Crew. In case you missed it, the gaming giant recently pulled the plug on their 2014 racing sim and shut down its online functionality. As a game that was basically an MMO that required a constant online connection, The Crew was rendered completely unplayable, sparking controversy and massive backlash from the gaming community.
Some have even decided to take things into their own hands and unite to legally pressure Ubisoft through various means, as well as raise awareness of the importance of game preservation. The movement, promptly named “Stop Killing Games,” argues that the lack of proper government regulations allows publishers to render old titles obsolete and unplayable. Though Ubisoft is not the first to make such a move, it may have been the long-awaited catalyst.
