Ubisoft’s server shutdown won’t hamper single-player modes in AC Liberation and Silent Hunter 5

New updates on Steam show that Assassin’s Creed Liberation HD and Silent Hunter 5 – single-player games – will be unplayable from September 1st - Ubisoft say that’s not true.

Updated: Ubisoft have issued another statement in response to our inquiry asking about two games, Assassin’s Creed: Liberation HD and Silent Hunter 5, being marked as “not accessible following September 1st” on Steam. Ubisoft says that both games will still be accessible, playable, and available to redownload at that time - just not DLC and multiplayer portions.

Here’s the statement in full:

“As stated in our support article, only DLCs and online features will be affected by the upcoming decommissioning. Current owners of those games will still be able to access, play or redownload them. Our teams are working with our partners to update this information across all storefronts and are also assessing all available options for players who will be impacted when these games’ online services are decommissioned on September 1st, 2022. It has always been our intention to do everything in our power to allow those legacy titles to remain available in the best possible conditions for players, and this is what we are working towards.”

While Ubisoft didn’t mention how or why the message has appeared, one would assume there are only specific phrases that can be added to game pages on Steam in these sorts of messages. Given it won’t be buyable, the standard message for that could be what was displayed. Having seen Steam’s backend, this is a very believable situation.

Original story: Ubisoft, along with the news last week that it would be turning off online servers for various games, will be removing the ability to play some entirely. This news came via Steam, which was updated with messages and an inability to buy the games now that they are being removed.

The two games are Assassin’s Creed: Liberation HD and Silent Hunter 5. Both were mentioned in Ubisoft’s original plans for lack of online play. However, the notification on both Steam pages now reads “Please note this title will not be accessible following September 1st, 2022.”

Ubisoft declined to comment on these two games in particular, giving the following statement for the general decommissioning:

“We don’t take the decision to retire services for older Ubisoft games lightly, and our teams are currently assessing all available options for players who will be impacted when these games’ online services are decommissioned on September 1st, 2022. We are also working with our partners to update this information across all storefronts, so players will be fully informed about the removal of online services at the point of purchase as well as via our support article where we shared the news.”

Neither game is exactly setting the world alight in terms of public perception or sales total, based on their reviews before this story breaking over the weekend. The former is an Assassin’s Creed spin-off game originally for the Vita, while the latter is a long-running series that was in its death throes by the 2010 release of the fifth game.

Still, they’re games someone bought and paid for, and in Liberation’s case is part of the lengthy storyline of Assassin’s Creed – though it is available as part of another game. I doubt anyone’s crying over these in particular, but the principle is rather annoying, and fans have been outraged over the weekend.

It’s also been pointed out that both games were part of the recent Steam Summer Sale, meaning they were being incentivised to be bought as recently as last week.

Written by GLHF.