Ubisoft is investigating reports claiming that digital copies of Far Cry 4 have been rendered unplayable on Xbox One after the game was delisted from the Xbox Store.
Issues with the game failing to load were first reported by Reddit users earlier today, with the problem later acknowledged by Ubisoft on the publisher's official forums.
"The team are actively investigating the issue this side," wrote Ubisoft community manager Mr_Shade, "however it's also worth contacting Xbox support - since it appears that the game has been removed from the Store - this has happened for some - please check if it's still available to you - if not, it 'could' be related to that, which MS are investigating too - however as I say, Ubisoft are looking into the issue as a matter of urgency."
It isn't yet clear which regions have been affected, why the game has been removed from the Xbox Store, or how widespread the issue may be.
At the time of writing, the game did not appear to be available to purchase digitally in the UK.
The issue, however, has raised questions over Microsoft's approach to licensing on Xbox One. Should a game be removed from the Xbox One Store in the future, for example, will it automatically be rendered unplayable to players who have previously purchased it?
This hasn't been the case in the past, of course, with games removed from the Xbox 360 Marketplace still playable to those who purchased them prior to their delisting.
If you purchased a digital copy of Far Cry 4 on Xbox One and have been affected by the issue, let us know below.
UPDATE (22:36): The issue does not appear to be affecting all users, with some players stating that they are still able to access their digital copy. VideoGamer.com has contacted Ubisoft for further comment.
UPDATE 2 (22:42): Multiple users have also reported experiencing the same issue on Microsoft's official Xbox forums, with the issue appearing to affect some users in the US and UK.
UPDATE 3 (Jan 6): Far Cry 4 has reappeared on the Xbox Store with initial reports stating that the issue has been fixed. Ubisoft has yet to comment on the cause of the problem.
UPDATE 4 (Jan 9): Microsoft has clarified its stance on Xbox One DRM, confirming that digital buyers will still be able to download and play their previously purchased games should they be removed from the Xbox Store.
Source: reddit.com, forums.ubi.com
User Comments
VG_Dave@ pblive
EverTheOptimist
pblive
But, yes, more worrying that a game can't be played if it isn't on the store. I wonder if that's all games, though, or just specific ones that check for this? Someone needs to reach out to Microsoft and ask.
ArterialLattice
Neon-Soldier32
skidoosh
BrySkye
This is a potentially massive time bomb as games that involve licensing deals are regularly removed from such services.
Sega have plenty of examples at hand, with the XBLA/PSN version of Outrun being removed years ago when their Ferrari license expired.
Or more recently Afterburner Climax with the expiration of deals with Boeing, Lockheed-Martin and Northrop-Grumman.
Activision's licensed Marvel games also regularly disappear.
Deadpool was available to buy from Steam for less than a year before the licensing deal expired.
The point though is that while they may no longer be available for purchase, or even to re-download, you can still play them provided they are on your system.
I've never heard of a game being de-listed suddenly causing your already downloaded game to become unusable.
If that turns out to be the system that Microsoft have implemented on the Xbox One...
Well, sounds like a very good reason to stick to discs.