Ubisoft has announced its plan to shut down online services for nearly a dozen video games, including popular titles like Assassin’s Creed 2 and Splinter Cell: Conviction. These games will lose their online functionality on January 25, 2024. This decision reflects a growing trend among video game publishers and developers to pull the plug on online services for various reasons, such as low player counts or expiring licenses. Ubisoft acknowledges that shutting down servers for old games is not an easy choice but is necessary as the technology behind these services becomes outdated.
The full list of games losing online service includes Assassin’s Creed II, Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood, Assassin’s Creed Liberation HD, Assassin’s Creed Revelations, Ghost Recon Future Soldier, Heroes of Might and Magic VI, NCIS, Splinter Cell: Conviction, R.U.S.E, and Trials Evolution. Once online features are disabled for these games, users will no longer be able to play online multiplayer, link accounts, or collect Ubisoft Connect rewards for these titles. It is worth noting that the decision to shut down online services for certain games on specific platforms is not unprecedented, as Ubisoft has previously terminated online services for some of these titles on different platforms.
While this news may disappoint fans of these games, it is important to recognize that the gaming industry is continuously evolving, and online services for older games eventually become obsolete. Game publishers and developers need to allocate their resources efficiently and focus on supporting newer games and technologies. Through these shutdowns, Ubisoft aims to ensure that its resources are directed towards providing a better gaming experience for players of its current and future titles.