Ubisoft Clarifies That It Won’t Delete Game Libraries Due to Game Inactivity After Fan Panic
Over the weekend, Ubisoft fans were in a bit of a panic as rumours spread that Ubisoft might be deleting inactive Ubisoft accounts, permanently destroying digital game libraries if users didn’t log on often enough! Ubisoft has however clarified that their users’ digital game libraries are safe.
The rumours about this account deletion came after a tweet from AntiDRM stating that Ubisoft would be deleting inactive Ubisoft accounts which in turn would result in Ubisoft digital game libraries permanently being destroyed if the account wasn’t used regularly enough!
A tweet circulated showing an email titled: Ubisoft Account Closure Due to Inactivity. The email went on to explain that the recipient’s Ubisoft account had been temporarily suspended, and would be closed permanently in 30 days unless the closure was cancelled by the account owner.
While all of this is legitimate, what caused people to panic was the context offered by the original poster, who claimed that “You will lose all your games purchased forever.”
In an email to IGN, Ubisoft clarified its stance on account deletions. The publisher confirmed it has “for many years now” deleted inactive accounts in accordance with the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) on how long companies are permitted to store individual personal information. The company claims its policies are “aligned with legal requirements and with the standards of the industry” and that they also serve as fraud prevention.
Ubisoft also clarified its criteria for account deletion, noting that it absolutely does not include accounts that have purchased games attached to them. The publisher takes the following into account:
- The gaming activity of the account since its creation
- The account’s libraries: accounts that include purchased PC games are not eligible for deletion [emphasis Ubisoft’s]
- The duration of inactivity of the account, meaning the last login to our ecosystem (including from Ubisoft games on Steam and other platforms)
- In practice, as of today, we have never deleted accounts that have been inactive for less than 4 years
- The existence of an active subscription tied to the account.
Ubisoft added that emails such as the one circulated are sent to users 30 days prior to account deletion, and if a user tries to log in during that window, they will receive a notice and a link to reactivate the account upon login.
The good news is if you haven’t logged into your Ubisoft account in years, you’re not on the verge of losing your game library, I personally will be logging in from time to time just to be safe!
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