Ubisoft has revealed that some online services will be discontinued for several of their older games. The shutdown of these servers will impact only certain platform-specific games, while games on other platforms will continue to receive support.
In a statement put out on their website, Ubisoft confirmed their intentions to deactivate the online services for ten different titles, including the beloved Assassin's Creed II. Each of the games included on the list will lose access to their online services for their respective platforms on January 25, 2024.
According to Ubisoft, the decision to decommission online services "isn't taken lightly". However, it is a necessary measure as the "technology that drove [these online services] has grown obsolete" and Ubisoft claims to have no choice but to deactivate online services for some select titles and platforms.
The inclusion of Assassin's Creed II, Brotherhood, and Revelations are the most surprising games to see on Ubisoft's list. Often referred to as the "Ezio trilogy" after the eponymous protagonist, these three games are often regarded as the best of the classic Assassin's Creed games, with Ezio arguably being the most popular Assassin in the entire franchise.
All of the Ubisoft games that will lose support for their online services in January 2024 are listed below, along with their respective platforms:
- Assassin's Creed II - Xbox 360
- Assassin's Creed Brotherhood - Mac
- Assassin's Creed Liberation HD - PS3, Xbox 360
- Assassin's Creed Revelations - PC
- Ghost Recon Future Soldier - PC
- Heroes of Might and Magic VI - PC
- NCIS - PC
- R.U.S.E - PC
- Splinter Cell: Conviction - Xbox 360
- Trials Evolution - PC
Concluding their announcement, Ubisoft have emphasised that the deactivation of online services for games on these platforms won't affect players' ability to play the games themselves. The only change that players should see, is that some of the online features associated with the games will cease to work on the relevant platforms.
When a classic game loses online support, it's always a disappointing development. The absence of online features prevents players from being able to play the game in the state it was first released, meaning that those experiences offered are lost to time.
However, it's likely that only a few players will likely be affected by Ubisoft decommissioning these online services, given the age of the titles and their respective platforms.
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