In response to recent concerns raised by gamers, Ubisoft has provided clarification on its account deletion policy. Contrary to earlier speculations, the company now affirms that it will not delete accounts that include purchased PC games due to infrequent logins. This announcement comes as a relief to many users who were alarmed by a screenshot of an Ubisoft email circulating on social media.
Addressing the issue, Jessica Roache, the senior corporate communications manager at Ubisoft, assured users that the deletion process strictly adheres to the requirements of the GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation). The company’s policies align with legal standards and industry practices while safeguarding players against potential fraud.
Ubisoft has outlined four specific criteria that are taken into consideration before an account is subject to deletion:
- Gaming activity: The company reviews the gaming history of an account since its creation.
- Account’s libraries: Accounts that have purchased PC games are exempt from deletion.
- Duration of inactivity: The last login to Ubisoft’s ecosystem, including from Ubisoft games on platforms like Steam, is considered.
- Active subscriptions: The presence of an active subscription tied to the account.
Importantly, Ubisoft has never deleted accounts that have been inactive for less than four years. Moreover, before an account is permanently deleted, the user receives three email notifications over a 30-day period, providing opportunities to restore the account. During this period, attempting to log in triggers a warning message with a link to reactivate the account.
The part of the statement emphasized by Ubisoft, “accounts that include purchased PC games are not eligible for deletion,” confirms that users who have invested in PC games will not lose access to their purchased titles. Interestingly, logging into non-Ubisoft accounts such as Steam can also prevent the deletion of a Ubisoft account.
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Nevertheless, there appears to be a discrepancy between Ubisoft’s statement and its terms of use, which initially indicated that accounts could be deleted after six months of inactivity. This misalignment has raised questions among users, especially after a recent incident involving a gamer whose account was deleted after two years of inactivity, resulting in the loss of several hundred dollars worth of games. In response, Ubisoft pledged to rectify the situation and restore the missing games.
As of now, Ubisoft has not provided further details on whether the restoration was completed or if there are any exceptional circumstances that would warrant deleting an account with purchased PC games. It remains unclear why the company has not updated its terms of use to reflect the current account deletion policy.
In conclusion, Ubisoft’s recent clarification aims to alleviate concerns about account deletions and reassure users that their purchased PC games are safe. The company’s commitment to comply with GDPR regulations and provide ample notice before permanent deletion is an effort to ensure transparency and fair treatment of its player community.
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