Do You Own Your Games? The Crew, AB 2426 and the Buy-Button Lawsuits

Players claimed $38,633 of The Crew settlement; the lawyers are asking for $800,000

The motion for final approval filed in Sacramento Superior Court sets out what the settlement actually delivered. Of roughly 1.8 million class members, 2,951 filed claims — 704 taking the $7 cash option and 2,247 the $15 credit — for a total value of $38,633. Class counsel asks the court for $800,000 in fees and $17,733.48 in costs, against a lodestar of $315,295 for 462.2 hours, a multiplier of about 2.484; administration cost $120,673.31 and the three named plaintiffs want $5,000 each. Ubisoft pays those sums on top of the $2,000,000 made available to the class, so they do not reduce anyone’s recovery — but the filing also records that Ubisoft "retains no reversionary interest" in that $2,000,000, of which players claimed under two percent.

• Superior Court of California, County of Sacramento · Oct 16, 2026 · Measured against Class Counsel’s current lodestar of $315,295, the requested award of $800,000 reflects a multiplier of approximately 2.484.

Editor's note: Read from the filed motion, which the settlement administrator posted on 16 October, the date the notice had promised the fee request. The claims figure is the motion’s own financial-terms table (704 × $7 plus 2,247 × $15 is $38,633). The motion does not say where the unclaimed remainder of the $2,000,000 goes, so this entry does not either; it is recorded as an open question on this page.

Case management is put off to November, but the judge refuses to pause the case

On the parties’ stipulation the court moved the initial case-management conference from 16 October to 20 November, with a joint statement due 13 November. It refused the other half of what was asked: “The request to stay all litigation deadlines is denied.” The case goes on while the arbitration motion is pending, rather than waiting on it.

• CourtListener · Oct 9, 2026 · Per the parties' 26 stipulation, the October 16 initial case management conference is continued to November 20, 2026. The request to stay all litigation deadlines is denied.

Editor's note: Replaces the 16 October case-management conference this page had on its watch list, which the court continued on 9 October. Found on the docket, not in reporting.

The hearing on Sony’s bid to force the buy-button case into arbitration slips to 29 October

The clerk continued the 1 October hearing on Sony’s motion to compel arbitration and stay proceedings, or alternatively dismiss, resetting it to 29 October before Judge Vince Chhabria. It is the motion that decides whether the claim about what “buy” means is heard in open court at all, or sent to private arbitration one buyer at a time.

• CourtListener · Sep 29, 2026 · CLERK'S NOTICE CONTINUING 10/1/2026 MOTION HEARING. 17 MOTION to Compel Arbitration and Stay Proceedings, or Alternatively, Dismiss Complaint Hearing reset to 10/29/2026 at 10:00 AM in San Francisco, Courtroom 03, 17th Floor before Judge Vince Chhabria.

Editor's note: Dated from the docket entry. The research pass asked what became of the reported 1 October hearing and could not answer it from a readable order; the CourtListener docket shows the hearing never happened on that date.

Cendejas moves for final approval of PlayStation voucher settlement

Adrian Cendejas moved for final approval of the proposed settlement with Sony Interactive Entertainment LLC. The motion sought approval of a $7.85 million settlement distributed through PlayStation Network account credits, after fees, costs, expenses, and service awards.

• U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California filing · Sep 3, 2026 · “Class Plaintiff moves for final approval of the proposed class action settlement with Defendant Sony Interactive Entertainment LLC.”

Editor's note: The motion identifies Adrian Cendejas as Class Plaintiff and seeks final approval of a proposed settlement with Sony Interactive Entertainment LLC. It states that the $7.85 million settlement amount, less fees, costs, expenses, and service awards, will be distributed as PSN account credits; the document was filed on 2026-09-03.

Sony's position: no reasonable consumer thought they owned the game

Sony's filing argued it is not plausible that customers believed they owned their downloads outright, citing the terms of service and the licence agreement, and noted that two plaintiffs bought the same game eleven days apart. The company that once campaigned for physical media was now telling its customers in court that they never owned what they paid for.

• Fortune · Sep 1, 2026 · The company's filing states it's simply "not plausible" that customers believed they owned the games outright.

Court sets a 15 October fairness hearing on the PlayStation voucher settlement

The settlement administrator said the court had scheduled the fairness hearing for 2:00 p.m. on 15 October 2026, before Judge Araceli Martínez-Olguín in the Northern District of California. It is the hearing at which the $7.85 million voucher settlement Cendejas moved to approve in September is either granted final approval or not.

• PSN Digital Games Settlement (Notice and Settlement Administrator) · Sep 2026 · The Court has scheduled the Fairness Hearing for October 15, 2026, at 2:00 p.m., in Courtroom 5, 2nd Floor, 1301 Clay Street, Oakland, California.

Editor's note: The administrator's page gives two different courtrooms for the same hearing — Courtroom 5, 2nd Floor in its "IMPORTANT UPDATE - SEPTEMBER 2026" and Courtroom 3, 3rd Floor in the body of the notice. The date, the time and the judge agree in both, so no courtroom is stated here.

Heycock plaintiffs dismiss Sony Corporation of America

The Heycock plaintiffs voluntarily dismissed Sony Corporation of America from the PlayStation Store case. Sony Interactive Entertainment remained the sole defendant.

• Tom’s Hardware · Sep 1, 2026 · The plaintiffs voluntarily dismissed co-defendant Sony Corporation of America on August 20, one day before Sony’s motion, leaving Sony Interactive Entertainment as the sole defendant.
• U.S. federal docket mirror · Jun 18, 2026 · Filing 1 COMPLAINT against All Defendants ( Filing fee $ 405, receipt number ACANDC-22115326.). Filed by John Salinas, Edward Heycock, Andrew Garcia, Jason Mendoza.

Editor's note: The page states that the plaintiffs voluntarily dismissed co-defendant Sony Corporation of America on August 20, one day before Sony's motion, leaving Sony Interactive Entertainment as the sole defendant. The quoted wording appears on the page.

Deadline passes to opt out of or object to Ubisoft settlement

The settlement website stated that class members had until July 13, 2026, to opt out of or object to the Ubisoft settlement. It instructed members seeking exclusion to mail or deliver their requests by that date.

• Crew Game Settlement administrator · “You must mail or deliver your exclusion request postmarked no later than July 13, 2026, to:”
• Crew Game Settlement administrator · “Class Members may still opt out of or object to the Settlement until July 13, 2026.”

Editor's note: The FAQ states that exclusion requests must be mailed or delivered with a postmark no later than July 13, 2026. It also states that objections and notices of intent to appear must be filed and mailed by that same date.

Opt-out deadline passes in the separate PlayStation Store voucher settlement

Caccuri v. Sony, the $7.85 million class action over Sony ending third-party sales of game-specific download vouchers, reached its exclusion and objection date. It covers digital games bought on the PlayStation Store between 1 April 2019 and 31 December 2023 that had previously been available as a voucher at retail.

• PSN Digital Games Settlement administrator · Jul 2, 2026 · If, during the period April 1, 2019 to December 31, 2023, you purchased a Digital Game through the PlayStation Store that was previously available through a Game-Specific Voucher, you may be eligible to receive a payment from a class action lawsuit settlement.

Claims close in the The Crew settlement

Class members had until 11 June 2026 to file a claim. Cassell, Liu and Cerrato had alleged that Ubisoft misled buyers into believing they were paying for ownership of The Crew when they were getting a limited licence; Judge Jill H. Talley of the Sacramento County Superior Court set the fairness hearing for 13 November 2026.

• Cassell v. Ubisoft settlement notice · Apr 28, 2026 · Plaintiffs Matthew Cassell, Alan Liu, and Angel Cerrato allege that Ubisoft misled consumers into believing that when they purchased Ubisoft's video game The Crew, consumers were paying for ownership rights over The Crew when consumers were only receiving a limited license to access The Crew.

European Parliament debates Stop Destroying Videogames in plenary

The European Parliament held a plenary-session debate on Stop Destroying Videogames. The debate took place on May 21, 2026.

• European Citizens' Initiative register · The European Parliament held a debate on this initiative in its plenary session on 21 May 2026.

Editor's note: The page states that the European Parliament held a debate on the initiative in its plenary session on 21 May 2026. The quoted sentence appears on the page, with the same wording.

PlayStation buy-button plaintiffs send Sony two CLRA demand letters

The four future plaintiffs sent Sony demand letters under the Consumer Legal Remedies Act on 21 April and 11 May 2026, the statutory notice a consumer must give before suing for damages. They say Sony did not answer either one.

• Tom’s Hardware · Sep 1, 2026 · The four plaintiffs claim they sent two CLRA demand letters on April 21, 2026, and May 11, 2026, respectively, which Sony didn't answer.

Editor's note: The page states that the four plaintiffs said they sent two CLRA demand letters on April 21, 2026, and May 11, 2026, respectively, and that Sony did not answer them. This supports the April 21, 2026 timeline entry.

European Parliament holds hearing on Stop Destroying Videogames

The European Parliament held a public hearing on Stop Destroying Videogames. The hearing was held under Article 14(2) of the European Citizens' Initiative Regulation.

• European Citizens' Initiative register · This initiative was also presented in a public hearing at the European Parliament on 16 April 2026, in accordance with Article 14(2) of the ECI Regulation.

Editor's note: The page states that the initiative was presented in a public hearing at the European Parliament on 16 April 2026, in accordance with Article 14(2) of the ECI Regulation.

Court preliminarily approves PlayStation voucher settlement

The Northern District of California preliminarily approved the PlayStation Store voucher settlement. The proposed settlement provides $7.85 million in PlayStation Network account credits, with mailed payments available to eligible purchasers with deactivated accounts.

• U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California · Apr 8, 2026 · “In sum, the Court finds that the PSN account credits do not reflect a coupon settlement.”

Editor's note: The order grants preliminary approval of the proposed settlement, which provides a $7.85 million settlement amount in PSN account credits and permits qualifying members with deactivated accounts to receive equivalent funds by U.S. mail. The order is dated April 8, 2026.

UFC-Que Choisir sues Ubisoft in France over The Crew shutdown

UFC-Que Choisir sued Ubisoft before the Tribunal Judiciaire de Créteil following closure of The Crew servers. Stop Killing Games supported the action.

• UFC-Que Choisir · Mar 31, 2026 · L’UFC-Que Choisir poursuit en justice l’éditeur de jeux vidéo Ubisoft devant le Tribunal Judiciaire de Créteil, suite à la fermeture des serveurs de son jeu de course en ligne The Crew.

responded to The Crew becomes inoperable after Ubisoft's server shutdown.

Editor's note: The page states that UFC-Que Choisir is suing Ubisoft before the Tribunal Judiciaire de Créteil following the shutdown of The Crew servers, and says the action is supported by Stop Killing Games. It is published on 2026-03-31.

Organisers put their case to two commissioners

The initiative's organisers met Executive Vice-President Henna Virkkunen and Commissioner Michael McGrath, the hearing the ECI Regulation entitles them to before the Commission replies.

• Out of Games (European Commission communication) · Jun 16, 2026 · On 23 February 2026, the initiative organisers presented the objectives of their initiative in a meeting with Executive Vice-President Henna Virkkunen and Commissioner Michael McGrath, accompanied by European Commission officials, in line with Article 15 of the ECI Regulation.

The initiative is submitted to the Commission with 1,294,188 verified signatures

After national verification, Stop Destroying Videogames became one of the few citizens' initiatives to reach the Commission, which then had six months to answer.

• Out of Games (European Commission communication) · Jun 16, 2026 · The 'Stop Destroying Videogames' initiative was submitted to the European Commission on 26 January 2026, after having gathered 1,294,188 verified statements of support.

GameStop is sued under the new law over a digital copy of Elden Ring Nightreign

A putative class action brought the year-old disclosure statute to video games, pleading the new False Advertising Law provisions alongside the Unfair Competition Law and the Consumer Legal Remedies Act. The case is No. 2:26-at-00047 in the Eastern District of California.

• Frankfurt Kurnit Klein & Selz · Jan 22, 2026 · The plaintiff alleges that he purchased a digital copy of Elden Ring Nightreign from GameStop's website.

Weber files GameStop action over digital-game buy language

Jake Weber filed a proposed class action against GameStop, Inc. The complaint alleged that GameStop used terms including “buy,” “purchase,” and “Add to Cart” without satisfying either condition specified in the cited law.

• Weber v. GameStop complaint · Jan 8, 2026 · Defendant violated this law by advertising to consumers that they could “buy,” “purchase,” and “Add to Cart,” video games on its website without satisfying either of these two conditions.

Editor's note: The complaint identifies Jake Weber as plaintiff in a proposed class action against GameStop, Inc. and alleges GameStop used “buy,” “purchase,” and “Add to Cart” without satisfying either statutory condition. It was filed and dated January 8, 2026.

Jake Weber sends GameStop a CLRA demand letter

Jake Weber sent GameStop a California Consumer Legal Remedies Act demand letter by certified mail. The letter gave notice of alleged violations and demanded correction of the practices alleged.

• Weber v. GameStop complaint · Jan 8, 2026 · On January 7, 2026, a CLRA demand letter was sent to Defendant’s address via certified mail (return receipt requested), that provided notice of Defendant’s violations of the CLRA and demanded that Defendant correct the unlawful, unfair, false and/or deceptive practices alleged here.

Editor's note: The complaint states that on January 7, 2026, a CLRA demand letter was sent to GameStop by certified mail with return receipt requested. It says the letter gave notice of alleged CLRA violations and demanded correction of the alleged unlawful, unfair, false, and/or deceptive practices.

The petition finishes with 1.4 million raw signatures

Collection closed well above the threshold. Member States then had three months to check the validity of the signatures before the initiative could go to the Commission.

• Euronews · Aug 13, 2025 · The citizens' petition "Stop Destroying Games" has attracted more than 1.4 million signatures across the European Union.

Stop Killing Games passes a million signatures in the EU

The European Citizens' Initiative started after The Crew went dark crossed one million signatures in at least seven member states, the threshold that forces the European Commission to respond. Organisers Aleksej Vjalicin and Daniel Ondruska had until the end of July to collect them.

• Euronews · Jul 8, 2025 · A European Citizens' Initiative called Stop Killing Games surpassed one million signatures in at least seven member states, which is the threshold to force the Commission to consider issues raised by the public.

Cassell plaintiffs voluntarily dismiss federal action

Matthew Cassell, Angel Cerrato, and Alan Liu filed a notice voluntarily dismissing the federal action without prejudice. The notice was filed before a ruling on Ubisoft's amended-complaint dismissal motion.

• Dr. Docket/PACER docket record · Jun 12, 2025 · NOTICE of VOLUNTARY DISMISSAL without prejudice by Matthew Cassell, Angel Cerrato, Alan Liu.

Editor's note: The docket entry dated June 12, 2025 states that Cassell, Cerrato, and Liu filed a notice voluntarily dismissing without prejudice. The amended-complaint motion to dismiss was still pending; the court denied it as moot the next day.

Cassell plaintiffs file amended complaint against Ubisoft, Inc.

Matthew Cassell, Alan Liu, and Angel Cerrato filed a first amended complaint. The amended complaint named Ubisoft, Inc. as defendant.

• Dr. Docket/PACER docket record · Mar 18, 2025 · FIRST AMENDED COMPLAINT against Ubisoft, Inc. by Matthew Cassell, Alan Liu, Angel Cerrato.

Editor's note: The docket entry dated March 18, 2025 states that Matthew Cassell, Alan Liu, and Angel Cerrato filed a first amended complaint against Ubisoft, Inc. The quoted text appears on the page.

European Commission register publishes Stop Destroying Videogames initiative

The European Citizens' Initiative register published Stop Destroying Videogames. The initiative calls for publishers selling or licensing games in the EU to leave games playable.

• European Citizens' Initiative register · Jun 19, 2024 · This initiative calls to require publishers that sell or license videogames to consumers in the European Union (or related features and assets sold for videogames they operate) to leave said videogames in a functional (playable) state.

Editor's note: The page is readable and lists European Commission information dated 19/06/2024. Its objectives section contains the quoted language and supports the summary that the initiative seeks to keep videogames functional/playable after publishers discontinue them.

The Crew becomes inoperable after Ubisoft's server shutdown

The online-only game The Crew stopped operating on April 1. The game required Ubisoft servers to operate.

• Engadget · Apr 12, 2024 · Ubisoft's online-only racing game The Crew stopped being operable on April 1.

was answered by UFC-Que Choisir sues Ubisoft in France over The Crew shutdown.

Editor's note: The page states that The Crew, an online-only racing game, "stopped being operable on April 1." It also explains that the game could not be used without Ubisoft's servers, which went down that day.