this post was submitted on 08 Jul 2025
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Ubisoft isn't the only studio that orders you to destroy your games once support ends (www.thegamer.com)
submitted 22 hours ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]
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Ubisoft is being called out for a clause people have discovered in its licence agreement that orders owners of its games to destroy them should the studio choose to end service for those games. However, not only is the clause not new, as some have implied, but Ubisoft is far from the only studio that has it in its licence agreement.

Not only has that clause been in the Ubisoft EULA for a while, but the same sentiment can be found in EULAs you've agreed to before playing other games from an array of different studios. As highlighted by Amon274 on Reddit, the same clause can be found in the EULAs for various games on Steam, including Final Fantasy 7 Remake, Metaphor: ReFantazio, and Oblivion Remastered. A Phasmophobia dev also pointed to a similar clause in multiple agreements when the game was called out for the exact same thing two years ago.

Even your copies of Baldur's Gate 3 have got to go if Larian Studios ever deems it so.

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[โ€“] [email protected] 10 points 20 hours ago (1 children)

Imagine you buy a car. After 10 years the manufacturer doesn't provide any spare parts and service checks.

Now you have to destroy your car.

Does it make sense?

[โ€“] [email protected] 4 points 18 hours ago

If you lease you car you have to give it back.

If you license your games for the duration of them being active, then it makes sense.

The biggest issue, miscommunication, and often illegal practice is calling it buying when it is only a limited subscription. IIRC Steam recently (finally had to) change the wording away from "buying". Because it's not buying if you don't own the product afterwards.