Ubisoft quietly delisted The Crew, the 2014 open world racing RPG, from digital stores including Steam.
The game will remain playable until March 31, 2024. On April 1, the game, which requires an online connection to work, will shut down.
Wario64 spotted the delisting, and only a few hours later an official statement was provided by The Crew’s socials.
“We understand this may be disappointing for players still enjoying the game, but it has become a necessity due to upcoming server infrastructure and licensing constraints,” the post reads.
Racing game fans know these lines too well, and have seen many of their favourite games not being sold anymore. The nature of most modern racing games using licensed cars, and the games requiring an internet connection to play, make such shut downs inevitable. All of the Forza Motorsport games, All Need For Speed games from 2009 and earlier are examples of racing games that have been delisted.
The Crew 1 is a whole different game compared to what The Crew 2 and the latest The Crew Motorfest is. The game had a single-player story, a gritty one, where you must build a crew to not only win races in the underground scene, but also do other missions. The game also features a unique way of handling a car class. Cars can switch between Stock, Street, Dirt, Raid, Performance and Circuit specs, which not only change the handling physics but also the entire look. All of the game’s missions and events can be done co-op with your crew of up to 4 players.
Also, the original soundtrack is a low-key banger. It’s worth listening on its own without the context of the game.
The Crew 2 and The Crew Motorfest have since followed more of trends in open world racing games in the way the story is delivered and the way cars can be customised (though the RPG-style loot for performance parts remain).