Ubisoft has temporarily hit the pause button on its plan to decommission online features for more than a dozen of its games, which included Far Cry, several Assassin’s Creed titles, and Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands. Ubisoft explained that it was looking to “focus its resources” on its more modern titles, but there was concern that several of the affected games–such as Assassin’s Creed: Liberation HD and Silent Hunter 5–would be virtually unplayable without an online component.
The company has now announced that the planned decommissioning will be moved from September 1 to October 1 while developers work on ensuring that the listed games will continue to run smoothly when their online functionality is removed. For example, Anno 2070 will receive an update that should make it perform better and still playable in single-player or multiplayer mode after October 1.
“In fact, your experience should even be a bit smoother now than before,” the Anno 2070 team explained. “We ported the game to 64-bit, which enables the game to address all your PC’s memory. Additionally, the new online services should make for a nicer matchmaking experience. And you can still use the in-game friends list to set up matches.”
In short, single-player DLC purchased for games such as Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood, Assassin’s Creed 3, Far Cry 3, and Splinter Cell Blacklist will still be available to download, keep, and play as long as it’s activated before the shutdown date. For a more detailed breakdown, Ubisoft has a chart available.
The only real casualty here will be Space Junkies, with this multiplayer-only game headed to the chopping block. Otherwise, players will still retain their DLC, and new players have a month to purchase that extra content before it’s too late.
September looks to be a big month for Ubisoft, as the company is hosting a new Ubisoft Forward press conference on September 10. One of its big announcements appears to have leaked early as a new Assassin’s Creed game called Assassin’s Creed Mirage is reportedly in development and will launch in Spring 2023. Don’t expect to see a Marvel game based on famed vampire hunter Blade at the event, as Ubisoft has put a stake in those rumors.
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