Ubisoft has issued a response following a formal privacy complaint filed against the company by NOYB – the European Center for Digital Rights – over its data collection practices. The complaint, which centers around the single-player game Far Cry Primal, alleges that Ubisoft's handling of personal data lacks "a valid legal basis."
In a statement shared with Eurogamer, Ubisoft confirmed it is reviewing the allegations:
"We are aware of the complaint and are looking into it," a company spokesperson said. "Ubisoft is committed to protecting players' personal data on our websites and games."
The controversy stems from a case brought by a tech-savvy player who discovered that Far Cry Primal could not be played offline or without first setting up and logging into a Ubisoft account—even though the game has no online features. The complainant expressed disbelief, saying they were "astonished that it was impossible to play a single-player game, offering no online functionalities" without an active internet connection.
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According to NOYB, the player analyzed the game’s network activity and uncovered a significant volume of outbound data. "They started the game again and had it running for about 10 minutes," the complaint notes. "They discovered that 150 unique DNS packages (queries and responses) were sent during this time and they identified 56 requests to initiate a connection between the complainant’s computer and external servers."
Among the recipients of the data were third-party services including Google, Amazon, and Datadog.
When questioned by the player about the nature of the data being transmitted, Ubisoft responded that the transmissions were part of a verification process:
"The data sent when launching one of [our] games is an ownership check on [our] servers to validate that the player's account owns the game they're trying to launch."
Ubisoft further clarified its stance on connectivity and data control, stating:
"For games that support offline modes, an Internet connection is required only at the initial launch—to validate the purchase and link the game to the player's account—and players retain control over their personal data through our dedicated Privacy Center."
The company added that it is "continuously working to ensure transparency and empower our community with clear, accessible privacy tools."
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