UPDATE 7/24: Ubisoft has since clarified that it will only delete inactive accounts that do not have any game purchases tied to them.
Original story follows.
In response to concerns over an ominously worded e-mail, Ubisoft has clarified that gamers who fail to log in to their Ubisoft account regularly run the risk of losing their account, and all of their purchased games. For players who’d been considering picking up some of the 8 games Ubisoft has planned for the next year, this boldly anti-consumer move could potentially lead them to reconsider their decision.
The publisher behind iconic franchises like Assassin’s Creed and Far Cry, Ubisoft has earned a mixed reputation with gamers over the years. While Ubisoft rarely releases titles that have been regarded as outright failures, the by-the-numbers style of gameplay in many of its releases has worn out its welcome for many players. This player fatigue is especially pronounced when it comes to the publisher’s open-world titles, with many gamers decrying Ubisoft’s frequent reliance on a formulaic gameplay loop of climbing towers and clearing checkpoints. In response to these criticisms, upcoming Ubisoft games like the throwback Assassin’s Creed Mirage appear to be removing or toning down some of these features.
In a response to a post from the AntiDRM Twitter account, Ubisoft Support has clarified that users who don’t sign in to their account can potentially lose access to Ubisoft games they’ve purchased. The initial post from AntiDRM featured a snippet of an e-mail sent to a user from Ubisoft notifying them that their account had been temporarily suspended due to inactivity and warning that it would be closed permanently in 30 days. Responding to the ominous e-mail, the Ubisoft Support Twitter account stated “We certainly do not want you to lose access to your games or account” and noted that account closure could be avoided by signing in to the account again.
Unsurprisingly, Twitter users weren’t happy with Ubisoft’s response. Several replies noted that, if Ubisoft didn’t want customers to lose access to their purchases, then it shouldn’t have a system in place that makes that a possibility. Another response pointed out that the publisher’s policy is actually illegal in some countries, including Ubisoft’s home country of France. Other responses saw the unusual account policy as a calculated move to get gamers to subscribe to the publisher’s Ubisoft+ subscription service, with one reply stating “I bet y’all leave these accounts going if they have an active Ubisoft+ subscription.”
Following the overwhelmingly negative response to Ubisoft’s ill-advised policy, it will be interesting to see if the publisher makes any changes moving forward. For now, though, between questionable DRM policies and Ubisoft’s embrace of blockchain-based games despite many gamers’ opposition to them, the publishing giant looks to be wildly out of step with many of the players who purchase its products.