Ubisoft CEO Addresses Petition to Stop Killing Games

Ubisoft recently held its annual shareholder meeting in Paris, where CEO Yves Guillemot was questioned about the company's stance on allowing games to remain playable after official support has ended. This inquiry was sparked by the 'Stop Killing Games' petition, which had garnered over a million signatures prior to the meeting. The petition advocates for game companies to permit games to remain playable even after they are no longer officially supported by the publisher. A particular point of contention was the shutdown of the online racing game The Crew in early 2024, which led to a class action lawsuit in California. During the meeting's Q&A session, a shareholder expressed discontent and asked Guillemot about Ubisoft's approach to games like Assassin's Creed: Shadows, as well as the company's stance on the 'Stop Killing Games' petition. Guillemot explained that Ubisoft provides information on the lifespan of its games and notifies players when a game is approaching its end-of-life. He emphasized that nothing is permanent and that the company is working to minimize the impact on players when games are discontinued. Guillemot also pointed out that software tools can become obsolete over time, necessitating the release of new versions. The CEO acknowledged that this is an industry-wide issue and that Ubisoft is actively working to address it.