In a surprising bit of pro-consumer news, mega-publisher Ubisoft has today announced that it will be adding offline modes to The Crew Motorfest and The Crew 2. The news follows overwhelming negative reactions to The Crew being taken offline in April of this year leading to the game becoming functionally unplayable, the latest in a long line of titles developed around online functionality (or licensing) to be pulled from sale in the wake of server closures. Now, taking to the game’s official Twitter account, Ubisoft has announced plans to develop an off-line for the two most recent Crew titles, citing “concerns about the access to The Crew games” as the reason behind the push.
We heard your concerns about access to The Crew games
Today, we want to express our commitment to the future of The Crew 2 and The Crew Motorfest.
We can confirm an offline mode to ensure long term access to both titles, stay tuned for more news in the next months. pic.twitter.com/KDlz8h09OT
— The Crew Motorfest (@TheCrewGame) September 10, 2024
In the short video, Senior Creative Director of The Crew series Stéphane Beley said “Today, we want to express our commitment to the future of The Crew 2 and The Crew Motorfest. We are currently exploring different solutions, and can confirm an offline mode to ensure long-term access to both titles.”
Although the video contains no details on how or exactly when this will be implemented, it is certainly a step in the right direction for an industry that is often too quick to abandon its art.
The news coincides with a frankly absurd digital store discount for The Crew 2, which you can grab on PlayStation for $1.39, Xbox for $1.40, or Steam for $1.50. Likewise, The Crew Motorfest is heavily discounted too with the 2023 title setting you back a chill 30 bucks if you’re interested.
In our review of The Crew 2 we celebrated the expansion of the series vehicle garage but struggled to find much meaning beyond it, while The Crew Motorfest kicked things into high gear and despite lamenting the implementation of the upgrade systems we noted that “When the game allows you to absolutely tear arse across its vividly realised world in a variety of finely tuned machines, it roars to life. An idealised and refined racing experience that offers you a place to shut out the world and instead live the dream of nabbing cars that would cost you the average Aussie home and send them flying across impossibly beautiful spaces.”
Are you looking to tear arse in The Crew anytime soon? Or are you, like us, just kinda happy to report on some good news for the average consumer for once? Be sure to let us know in the comments below and on social media.
One part pretentious academic and one part goofy dickhead, James is often found defending strange games and frowning at the popular ones, but he's happy to play just about everything in between. An unbridled love for FromSoftware's pantheon, a keen eye for vibes first experiences, and an insistence on the Oxford comma have marked his time in the industry.
