Current Events > Ubisoft is removing access to Assassin's Creed: Liberation HD on Steam

(+) Yeah! (+)

even for people who own it:

https://mobile.twitter.com/IGN/status/1546491505224949761?cxt=HHwWgoC9kZL1nvYqAAAA

Ubisoft is removing access to Assassin's Creed: Liberation HD on Steam seemingly even for users who have already bought the game.

As spotted by Nors3 on Twitter (below), the game can no longer be purchased on Steam following instruction from Ubisoft to remove it from sale. "At the request of the publisher, Assassins Creed: Liberation HD is no longer available for sale on Steam," a notice on its page reads.

Beyond just being removed from sale, however, "this title will not be accessible following September 1, 2022", a second notice adds.

Ubisoft announced last week that it was shutting down online connectivity for 15 games on the same date, with Liberation HD being one of them, but nothing suggested access to the game would be removed completely. "You will be unable to link Ubisoft accounts in-game or use online features," Ubisoft said of the PC version. "Additionally, the installation and access to DLC will be unavailable."

This version of Liberation - which is an HD port of the original PlayStation Vita game - is also accessible for free with Assassin's Creed 3, but this costs $39.99, and users who have bought and paid for the original version would essentially have to buy it again.

Removing access to a game customers have paid for without at least offering refunds is relatively unheard of on Steam, though it appears that Ubisoft will set that precedent with Liberation HD.

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/user_image/8/4/0/AAY0fDAADcLQ.jpg

yeah its fucked. now we know that Steam can just take away your game just because.

ill just have to buy physical games on my p-- AHH SHIT.

Oh here we go.

Pretty fucked up

"Digital is the future!"

If a game I purchased got taken out of my digital library (that I was still playing or planned to play in the future), I would just pirate it. And not care if someone judges me for it.

Ubisoft is the fucking worst. I'm glad I didn't buy The Crew 2 this weekend.

It's honestly fucking hilarious they're doing all this shit impacting Assassin's Creed negatively while doing this '15-year celebration' thing all summer.

Someone even made this as a joke:
https://old.reddit.com/r/assassinscreed/comments/vw2pri/updated_assassins_creed_15_year_anniversary/

https://preview.redd.it/s2qs4biwfta91.jpg?width=900&auto=webp&s=cfd47166381dcd01c0ee7a6c0a7859cb141b6037

Mezcla posted...

now we know that Steam can just take away your game just because.

Does Steam have a say at all? Pretty sure if they could they'd at least keep the game available for those who already bought it. Blame Ubisoft.

Scummy scummy scummy practice. And worse because I recently discovered I really like Assassins Creed and wouldve played this. Although I have a modded Vita, so I can play it there. Also, if you own AssCreed3 Remastered, either on Steam or UbisoftConnect, it comes Liberation and will not be affected by this delisting. Doesnt make it right, and Ubisoft is dumb.

Theyre doing this because they no longer want to pay for the servers that check DRM for these SINGLE PLAYER games that DO NOT NEED TO BE ONLINE EXCEPT TO VERIFY DRM anyway. How stupid is that. At that point, just eliminate the need for DRM checks on these old games and let us play them in peace. I hope all this backlash causes them to reconsider.

Yeah, I still prefer digital, but this shit should be illegal

Ubisoft in AC4: "We're going to make Abstergo's Entertainment division a parody of ourselves in the AC universe. It'll be super extreme and thus easily mockable".

Ubisoft: *becomes Abstergo's Entertainment division irl*

How's this legal? Don't they gotta offer refunds or a free game as compensation or something?

ffmasterjose posted...

How's this legal? Don't they gotta offer refunds or a free game as compensation or something?

Worst part is they had Liberation 75% off during the Steam Summer Sale last week. They had to have known theyd be delisting it, and just wanted to squeeze out a couple more dollars

discodancer77 posted...

Worst part is they had Liberation 75% off during the Steam Summer Sale last week. They had to have known theyd be delisting it, and just wanted to squeeze out a couple more dollars

I hope they get sued over this.

So it has begun.

Now it remains to be seen whether anything can be done legally to stop a company from stealing back something you've paid for

Ubishit

I'm actually surprised they're trying this given they're an EU-based company. This seems like something they're going to get absolutely raked over the coals for.

real Ubisoft poster

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/user_image/8/7/4/AAYLngAADcLy.jpg

[LFAQs-redacted-quote]

The only end result here will be some law firm getting a huge payday, a bunch of angry gamers getting like $3 in Steam credit, and some quick rewording on launcher platforms to state "lease" or "license" or something instead of "purchase".

This really should be illegal.

Probably is in the EU where they at least attempt to keep up with consumer rights in digital mediums.

Remember, you never own a digital only game, youre just renting it for full price

Physical forever baybe

Right there in the ToS

We may terminate your access to and use of the Game or Services, at our sole discretion, at any time and without notice to you. Upon any termination, discontinuation or cancellation of the Game, Services, and/or your Account, provisions relating to Content Ownership, DMCA/Copyright Policy, Termination, Warranty Disclaimers, Indemnity, Limitations of Liability, and Dispute Resolution shall survive such termination.

Were_Wyrm posted...

Right there in the ToS

Irrelevant.

Were_Wyrm posted...

Right there in the ToS

I recall hearing a lot of things in ToS aren't always legally binding.

Delisting is one thing, but it's utterly fucked up that you can't even get to it if you bought it already.

Please, stop buying from Ubisoft.

Sadly, people will still keep buying Ubisoft games anyway. Plenty of folks out there will never hear about this or simply won't care since it's an "old" game.

crazygamer21 posted...

Sadly, people will still keep buying Ubisoft games anyway. Plenty of folks out there will never hear about this or simply won't care since it's an "old" game.

honestly I feel enough buzz will be made that Ubisoft will have to respond.

GATTJT posted...

Does Steam have a say at all? Pretty sure if they could they'd at least keep the game available for those who already bought it. Blame Ubisoft.

Yeah, it's honestly Ubisoft's doing. Since Steam's just a storefront, they're obligated to listen to a developer's/producer's demands when it comes to game availability.

I wouldn't blame people for pirating Ubisoft games at this point, honestly. Even though it's available as part of AC3 Remastered, I would not tell people to buy another game just to access Liberation again. Especially when Ubisoft set a precedent for doing this.

Regardless of fine print, this should be illegal

Totally fucked.

I went to play a game yesterday, Crimson Clover, only to see it was discontinued from the store because there is an updated version for 19.99 now. The old version has 35 achievements and the "new" version has 34.

they just added an "arrange" mode to the game.

It's like... that's the kind of shit i want for FUCKING FREE you dumb fuck greedy ass game dev.

Luckily I can still play the game and download it and stuff, but this kind of thing is an instant i'll-never-buy-a-single-goddamn-game-from-you-again.

edit: I can't leave a review on the old game complaining either, cause it's not for sale. I can't leave a comment on the new one cause i wont buy it.

they did have a 6-month loyalty thing where i could have gotten 40% off... 40% off .... that's 12 bucks. the old game was like 8 and has more content than the arrange mode. just a clusterfuck.

discodancer77 posted...

lso, if you own AssCreed3 Remastered, either on Steam or UbisoftConnect, it comes Liberation and will not be affected by this delisting.

phew

i don't get it.
what profit would be gained from pulliing this stunt?

Let us all stop gaming in response

Hope someone is able to rip it so it can be preserved.
Minus the Vita version, of course.

You don't have to stop gaming, but you could stop buying Ubisoft games.

Ricemills posted...

i don't get it.
what profit would be gained from pulliing this stunt?

The game connects online to verify DRM, and Ubisoft doesnt want to pay for server upkeep for these lesser-played games anymore.

They could just remove the DRM requirements and keep it up for sale to benefit from people still willing to buy the games. But that would set the precedent of having single player games without DRM. I hate this.

Yeah, I'm surprised it took this long for it to happen, & I'm not surprised with the speculated reason to why. No server is going to run forever, especially if it doesn't even generate any revenue to justify its own cost. Though I'm pretty sure this is completely an Ubisoft decision, we should all keep in mind that we still trust Steam & every other storefront (except Nintendo, ironically) to continue finding it viable to keep authenticating our licenses.

online-only was a mistake

discodancer77 posted...

The game connects online to verify DRM, and Ubisoft doesnt want to pay for server upkeep for these lesser-played games anymore.

They could just remove the DRM requirements and keep it up for sale to benefit from people still willing to buy the games. But that would set the precedent of having single player games without DRM. I hate this.

Not to mention Ubi has an axe to grind with Valve, they're very anti-Steam

But I was told that Denuvo has no problems and it's "basically the same thing as Steam."

Mezcla posted...

yeah its fucked. now we know that Steam can just take away your game just because.

ill just have to buy physical games on my p-- AHH SHIT.

How is this Steam's fault instead of UbiSoft?

imagine still buying UbiScum games

Tyranthraxus posted...

But I was told that Denuvo has no problems and it's "basically the same thing as Steam."

I don't think anyone says that.

From Kotaku

Update: 7/11/22, 1:00 p.m. ET: Ubisoft clarified in a statement to Kotaku that current owners of [decommissioned games] will still be able to access, play or redownload them. This would include Assassins Creed: Liberation. The company said that only DLC and online features will be affected, and that its working to update this information across all storefronts, but didnt clarify why the single-player game was still being delisted from Valves storefront.

^ thanks for the update

I'm not sure what the difference is between buying a base game and buying a DLC for that game that makes it okay in one instance and not another.