Ubisoft’s CEO fights back against Stop Killing Games initiative

During Ubisoft’s 2025 shareholders gathering, CEO Yves Guillemot tackled the issue of the “Stop Killing Games” movement, addressing worries related to the conservation and possession of games.

At the meeting on the 10th of July, someone inquired whether Ubisoft endorsed the “Stop Killing Games” campaign, using the removal and closure of The Crew’s service as evidence that this was a significant moment for the cause.

As an ardent fan, I too pondered over the implications when some of Ubisoft’s games might become unplayable in the future. In a candid conversation, Guillemot acknowledged this concern, admitting it’s a problem not just for Ubisoft, but for the entire gaming industry as well.

Ubisoft says players are warned when games may be discontinued

Guillemot informed the shareholders that Ubisoft is dedicated to maintaining their games as playable as possible. He emphasized that they provide extensive assistance and services to ensure accessibility round-the-clock. Nevertheless, he clarified that this support doesn’t have an unlimited lifespan.

He explained that this is a challenge we’ve been encountering. However, it’s important to note that this isn’t exclusive to Ubisoft. All game publishers experience such difficulties. You offer a service, but there are no guarantees, and eventually, the service might be terminated. Nothing in our industry lasts forever.

Servers for Ubisoft’s The Crew were shut down in 2024, making the game unplayable.

He mentioned that Ubisoft strives to notify customers about the duration a game will stay playable. In other words, they let players and purchasers know upfront that the game may be taken off the market in the future. They’re aiming to ensure a smooth experience for their customers.

Guillemot concluded by referring to the matter as “a broad concern” and stated that Ubisoft is proactively addressing it with potential resolutions.

It’s important to mention that the primary objective of the “Stop Killing Games” initiative is to make sure games with online elements remain playable offline even after their service terminates by having them updated beforehand. The movement doesn’t demand ongoing, unending support from the game developers or publishers, but rather seeks a solution for continued offline access post-server shutdown.

Besides The Crew, other digital Ubisoft games like XDefiant and Hyper Net are also unplayable now as the services for both ended in 2022 and 2025 respectively.

Currently, the Stop Killing Games petition has amassed over 1.3 million signatures and is just shy of its target of 1.4 million. Notably, on July 12th, influential European politician Nicolae Ștefănuță publicly endorsed this campaign.

2025-07-19 18:18

Ubisoft says players are warned when games may be discontinued

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