The Crew 2 Offline Mode: SKG’s First Win?

Back in July of this year, we talked here at MLG about the Stop Killing Games initiative and everything it stood for. This movement has continued to grow exponentially, achieving small victories at a social and community level here and there. Now, Ubisoft has just released an important update for the game The Crew 2, which now includes an offline mode that allows players to enjoy the title without connecting to the company’s servers. This means that those who paid for the game can simply enjoy it forever, regardless of the state of its servers. You remember what happened last year, right?

In April 2024, Ubisoft made the decision to shut down the servers for The Crew, making the game inaccessible to everyone, and generating one of the most curious chain reactions we’ve ever seen. This car and street racing game was the one that gave birth to the Stop Killing Games initiative, and interestingly, it’s this same saga that grants it its first major victory. After having promised it months ago, the French company has announced the “hybrid mode” for The Crew 2, and of course, that whole “hybrid” thing may sound a bit confusing, but in practice it’s very easy to understand: it’s no longer necessary to connect to any server to enjoy the game!

The Crew 2 Is Yours Forever

As Ubisoft explained on its official blog, “With this update, players can now switch between the original online experience of The Crew 2 and a brand-new offline mode, letting you enjoy the game even without an internet connection. This represents a major milestone in our ongoing commitment to ensuring long-term access to The Crew 2 for all players.” Additionally, the post also clarified how this hybrid mode works, allowing players to start new offline sessions as well as export their online save and continue playing without a connection. Obviously, not all premium items are available offline, and other options like rankings, user-generated content, or ghosts of other drivers are simply not accessible without connecting to the servers.

Progress is separated by mode, which means that although it’s possible to export an online save file to offline mode, it’s not possible to do it the other way around. All these changes, adjustments, and other details are aligned with the stance of Stop Killing Games, which can undoubtedly be considered the initiative’s first major victory. This situation has created a celebratory atmosphere on social media, where users have thanked the company for its policy change. Ubisoft has taken advantage of the large number of positive reactions generated by this move and implemented a major discount: you can now find The Crew 2 on Steam for only 2.99 USD, and you can also access it with discounts on other platforms!

So…

According to Ubisoft’s official information, a similar offline mode will also be released in the future for The Crew Motorfest, the latest entry in this saga. However, the company hasn’t shown signs of working on it as a priority, perhaps because the title is still far from entering the final phase of its life cycle. As for us, here at MLG we can’t help but feel happy about this victory, and we hope it marks the beginning of a path of correct actions by game development companies. And now we kindly invite you to head over to the comments and tell us what you think about this milestone, and what are your concerns regarding other titles you’d like to preserve forever. You know gamer, we’ll be reading you! 🙂

Images Source: Ubisoft Official YouTube Channel, The Crew 2 Official Website, Official Blog of Ubisoft’s The Crew 2, The Crew 2 on Steam