Ubisoft removes 3-day early access from Watch Dogs Legion

[jwplayer 91I9RIGm]In a surprise announcement, Ubisoft has stated that Watch Dogs Legion will no longer have three-day early access. According to reports, the French publisher might also be removing the feature from all future special editions of their titles.

Over the last decade, video game companies have tried to entice consumers to pre-order their latest titles with lavish collectors editions that contain perks. Publishers like Ubisoft started to include early access where fans could play the game three days before its release date.

However, in a statement posted on July 13, the French developer revealed that they are now removing the perk from Watch Dogs Legion. The divisive feature will also reportedly no longer be offered in upcoming projects – though that’s not confirmed.

Ubisoft stops early access for Watch Dogs Legion

The games industry has seen a wealth of new trends over the last 10 years, from microtransactions to season passes. In 2017, companies began to offer players the chance to play the latest AAA title a fews days early if they are willing to shell out extra cash for a special edition.

In a surprising move, Ubisoft has revealed that they will no longer be including the perk for Watch Dogs Legion. The news first broke from industry analyst Daniel Ahmad who re-posted their statement on social media.

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“Since the announcement of Watch Dogs: Legion last year we’ve worked to refine the content of the game’s premium editions with additions and adjustments to improve the player experience,” it read.

The company then explained that the game will instead focus on “additional story-based content” through its season pass as well as cosmetics. “Additionally, all editions of Watch Dogs Legion will be released simultaneously on 10.29.2020. As a result the “3 day early access” has been removed from the Gold, Ultimate, and Collector’s Editions.”

Early access was initially offered in several of Legion’s premium editions, although the feature is now being removed before its October release. According to gaming outlet GameSpot, Ubisoft’s decision could apply future releases as well.

The announcement is sure to go over well with many players, as it had received a divisive reaction in the past with some fans arguing that users were simply paying to play the game on time while everyone else had to wait an extra three days.

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The decision comes off the heels of Ubisoft’s Forward conference which was held on July 12. At the event, the developer announced several marquee titles, such as Far Cry 6 – set to hit stores in 2021 – as well as Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, which debuts on November 18.