The Crew 2 finally lets you drive offline.
Ubisoft has rolled out a long-awaited offline mode for The Crew 2, letting players take to the roads without needing an internet connection. Called Hybrid Mode, it’s a welcome update for those concerned about the game's longevity, especially after The Crew was taken offline earlier this year. The announcement was made on Friday (17 October) on Ubisoft’s official website.
How does Hybrid Mode work?
Hybrid Mode gives players the choice to play how they want: the familiar online experience with multiplayer, leaderboards, and community events, or an offline mode for solo exploration. Ubisoft describes it as giving players “freedom to choose” how they experience the game.
Players can move their progress over by selecting “Export to Offline Save” after an online session, creating a local copy on PC or console. Online and offline saves remain separate, though they can be updated at any time. Custom liveries, however, won’t carry over.
More information about Hybrid mode can be found in the official website.
Ubisoft’s update arrives amid growing debate on game ownership
The new mode comes months after backlash over The Crew’s shutdown, which left players unable to access the game in any form. Ubisoft later pledged to include offline options for The Crew 2 and The Crew Motorfest to prevent similar situations in future.
The offline mode for The Crew 2 was first confirmed last year, following the shutdown of the original The Crew in March 2024. Many players were frustrated after losing access to the game entirely; it wasn’t free-to-play, yet it still became unplayable even in solo mode once the servers went offline.
At the time, Ubisoft acknowledged the backlash, saying, “We heard your concerns about access to The Crew games. Today, we want to express our commitment to the future of The Crew 2 and The Crew Motorfest. We can confirm an offline mode to ensure long-term access to both titles.”
After the shutdown, Ubisoft also faced a lawsuit over the issue. The publisher argued that purchasing a game doesn’t grant players “unfettered ownership rights,” but instead a “limited licence to access the game.”
The release of the offline mode also coincides with growing consumer pressure around digital ownership. The Stop Killing Games campaign, launched by YouTuber Ross Scott in response to The Crew’s closure, has gathered more than 1.4 million signatures across Europe and has been qualified to be an official European Citizen’s Initiative.
The initiative urges lawmakers to require publishers to keep games accessible after server shutdowns.
