End of a gaming era – Ubisoft is killing online support for many last-gen games

As we approach the inevitable reveal of the new Xbox and PS5, Ubisoft is turning off the lights for its online games on the last generation of consoles.

However, it's not just very old titles that are seeing their online services shuttered, but relatively new ones too. The Just Dance games games on PS3, Xbox 360, Wii and Wii U will be losing their online modes on November 19 – and that includes the latest Just Dance 2018. Just Dance 2015 and 2014 on the PS4 and Xbox One will also be losing online play, though it's not yet clear if the forthcoming Just Dance 2019 – which is still being slated for the last-gen consoles – will have online play of some form.

Online play for titles including I Am Alive, Tom Clancy's EndWar, and Splinter Cell Double Agent on PC will also be switched off on November 19, while the Mac's Assassin's Creed 2 will also shutter. Rayman 3 HD on PS3 and Xbox 360 will be going offline too.

'Better focus'

"We are constantly assessing what's needed to deliver the best possible online services for Ubisoft's customers," said Ubisoft in a statement.

"Shutting the services for some older games with smaller online audiences is a necessary part of this process, since it allows our IT and service staff to better focus on delivering great online experiences to the vast majority of customers who are playing newer, more popular titles.

"Still, we don't take the decision to retire services for older Ubisoft games lightly, and we understand some of you may be disappointed by this news.

"We are happy to have fans that are as committed as you have been to these brands and titles, and we hope that you'll find more recent or upcoming Ubisoft games which you can be equally as passionate about. Thank you for your understanding and your support."

Single player modes for those games affected will remain unchanged, but it's the latest signal that the ship has sailed for those looking to play on older hardware.