What just happened? Ubisoft has announced the shuttering of online services for 91 of its older games across several different platforms, including Anno 1404, Far Cry Blood Dragon, Ghost Recon, Rainbow Six Vegas, and several Just Dance games. Anyone who purchased unlockable content for these titles can no longer access it on PC.
Ubisoft notes that in-game news and player statistics for the listed games have also been disabled. Moreover, any that used Ubisoft Connect services will find that Units and Challenges are now disabled, meaning players will no longer be able to earn Units by completing Challenges.
It's bad news for anyone who bought "ULC" (Unlockable Content), such as maps and skins for games. Ubisoft said that in addition to these being disabled---meaning they can't be unlocked---ULC on the PC would no longer be available even if it was purchased previously. Owners will still be able to access it on console, however, unless they reset their save game files.
Game | Platforms |
America's Army | Xbox 360 |
Anno 1404 | PC |
Anno Online | PC |
Assassin's Creed 2 | PC | MAC | iOS | OnLive |
Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood | OnLive |
Assassin's Creed: Recollection | MAC | iOS |
Assassin's Creed: Revelations | OnLive |
Avatar | PC | PlayStation 3 | Xbox 360 |
Beyond Good and Evil | PlayStation 3 | Xbox 360 |
Blazing Angels 2 | PC | Xbox 360 |
Call of Juarez 2: Bound in Blood | PC | PlayStation 3 | Xbox 360 |
Call of Juarez 3: The Cartel | PC | PlayStation 3 | Xbox 360 |
Driver: San Francisco | OnLive |
ESPN Sport Connections | Wii U |
Far Cry | PC |
Far Cry 2 | PC |
Far Cry Blood Dragon | PC | PlayStation 3 | Xbox 360 |
Flashback Origins | PC |
Ghost Recon | PC |
Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 2 | PC | PlayStation 3 | Xbox 360 |
H.A.W.X. | PC |
H.A.W.X. 2 | PC | PlayStation 3 | Xbox 360 | OnLive |
Haze | PlayStation 3 |
Heroes of Might and Magic 5 | PC |
I Am Alive | PC | PlayStation 3 | Xbox 360 |
Just Dance 3 | Xbox 360 |
Just Dance 3 Greatest Hits | Xbox 360 |
Just Dance 3 Kids | Xbox 360 | Wii | Wii U |
Just Dance 4 | PlayStation 3 | Xbox 360 | Wii U |
Just Dance 2014 | PlayStation 3 | PlayStation 4| Xbox 360 | Xbox One | Wii | Wii U |
Just Dance 2015 | PlayStation 3 | PlayStation 4 | Xbox 360 | Xbox One | Wii | Wii U |
Just Dance 2016 | PlayStation 3 | Xbox 360 | Wii |
Just Dance 2017 | PlayStation 3 | Xbox 360 | Wii |
Just Dance 2018 | PlayStation 3 | Xbox 360 | Wii |
Just Dance Disney Party | Xbox 360 | Wii |
Just Dance Disney Party 2 | Xbox 360 |
Marvel Avengers: Battle for Earth | Xbox 360 | Wii U |
Might & Magic: Clash of Heroes | PC |
Might & Magic Duel of Champions | PC | PlayStation 3 | Xbox 360 |
Might & Magic Showdown | PC |
Might & Magic Showdown Paint Workshop | PC |
Might & Magic X: Legacy | PC |
MotionSports | Xbox 360 |
MotionSport Adrenaline | PlayStation 3 | Xbox 360 |
My Fitness Coach Club | PlayStation 3 |
PowerUp Heroes | Xbox 360 |
Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands | PC | PlayStation 3 | Xbox 360 | OnLive |
PureFootball | PlayStation 3 | Xbox 360 |
Rabbids Alive and Kicking | Xbox 360 |
Rabbids Go Home | Wii |
Rabbids Land | Wii U |
Rabbids Travel in Time | Wii |
Rainbow Six - Raven Shield | PC |
Rainbow Six Lockdown | PC | Nintendo GameCube | PlayStation 2 | Xbox |
Rainbow Six Vegas | PC | PlayStation 3 | PlayStation Portable | Xbox 360 |
Rainbow Six Vegas 2 | PC | PlayStation 3 | Xbox 360 | Xbox One |
Rayman 3 | PlayStation 3 | Xbox 360 |
Rayman 3 HD | PlayStation 3 | Xbox 360 |
Rayman Legends | PC |
Rayman Origins | PC | PlayStation 3 | Xbox 360 |
R.U.S.E. | MAC | PlayStation 3 | Xbox 360 |
R.U.S.E. Beta | PC |
Scrabble 2007 | PC |
Scrabble 2009 | PC |
Settlers 3 | PC |
Settlers 4 | PC |
Settlers 6: Rise of an Empire | PC |
Settlers 7: Paths to a Kingdom | PC | MAC |
Settlers: Heritage of Kings | PC |
Shape Fitness Evolved | Xbox 360 |
Shape Up | Xbox One |
Shaun White Skateboarding | PC | PlayStation 3 | Xbox 360 | OnLive |
Shaun White Snowboarding | PC | PlayStation 3 | Xbox 360 | OnLive |
Silent Hunter 3 | PC |
Silent Hunter 4: U-boat Missions | PC |
Silent Hunter 4: Wolves of the Pacific | PC |
Silent Hunter 5 | OnLive |
Smurfs 2 | PlayStation 3 | Xbox 360 |
Spartacus Legends | PlayStation 3 | Xbox 360 |
Splinter Cell: Blacklist | Wii U |
Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory | PC |
Splinter Cell: Conviction | PC | MAC | OnLive |
Splinter Cell: Double Agent | PC | PlayStation 3 | Xbox 360 |
The Adventures of Tintin | PC | PlayStation 3 | Xbox 360 |
Tom Clancy's EndWar | PC | PlayStation 3 | Xbox 360 |
Toy Soldiers War Chest | PC | PlayStation 4 | Xbox One |
Watch Dogs Companion | Android | iOS |
World in Conflict | PC |
Your Shape Fitness Evolved | Xbox 360 |
Your Shape Fitness Evolved 2012 | Xbox 360 |
Your Shape Fitness Evolved 2013 | Wii U |
Some games are only losing online features on select platforms, often consoles from two generations ago. Just Dance 2016 through to 2018, for example, is dropping online support for the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and Wii, but it remains on the Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and Wii U.
All the games' offline functionality and features will remain unchanged.
Older titles see their online support dropped all the time, though not usually so many at once, and losing paid-for DLC is always going to sting, even if you rarely play the games in question. Ubisoft never gave any reason for its decision.
Last week brought reports that Ubisoft was attracting takeover attention from private equity companies Blackstone Inc, KKR & Co, and others. It's unclear whether this is in any way related to the 91 games' online services being shuttered.