505 Games accidentally does what they said was impossible: Upgrades Digital Deluxe owners of Control to Ultimate Edition, then revokes it.

[eZipsis]

I own the Control base game and Season Pass. Is this not the same as Control Ultimate Edition?
The objective of Control Ultimate Edition was not to release new exclusive content on the next gen platforms, but to offer the full Control gameplay experience to new Control players in a single, easy-to-find product. The PlayStation 5/Xbox Series X versions of Control contain the same content as the current gen game, though they do take full advantage of the power and features provided by these new consoles.

The upgrade path that we are offering is only possible when upgrading from the same version of the game. As we are only doing additional development on Control Ultimate Edition on the next gen platforms, we are unfortunately unable to offer an upgrade path to all existing Control players. We understand how this might upset a number of players but you will still be able to play the 2019 edition of Control and each Expansion on the new platforms.

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Despite their detailed explanation of why they couldn't upgrade owners of the game and season pass to the Ultimate Edition, 505 Games launched Control Ultimate Edition and had accidentally upgraded owners of the Digital Deluxe edition to have Control Ultimate Edition.

They state that "The upgrade path that we are offering is only possible when upgrading from the same version of the game". This error has seemly exposed that the Ultimate Edition and the base game with season pass is in fact the same version of the game.

As for how this was discovered, in the other thread poster Hitokiri03 posted that PSN was stating that he owned the game.

So....Control Ultimate Edition just came out on PSN and it says that I own it.

I bought the Deluxe Edition but I wonder if you had the game + the season pass automatically you own the ultimate edition like most games on PSN.

Did they change their mind or they forgot to tell Sony about their plans?

Can someone verify this on Xbox too?

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Then others started corroborating the story

I tried and yep I download the Ultimate edition from the page. The deluxe is no longer on the store.

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Had the same thing happen and was very confused about it, posted about it in the OT too.

I can't recall if I bought them separately or got that digital deluxe thing that's now delisted (lost the confirmation email too).

It's a nice surprise since I was under the impression the UE would be a repurchase for everyone who already owned the game in any form. Sucks for those who bought the game physically though

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I have the season pass and base game digitally and the ultimate edition has a download to PS4 button on the website, but it still shows the price which is weird. I wonder if this is a glitch? Would be perfect if this reveals how easily they can give the game to people and then they shut it off. What a joke this has all been.

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Same thing here, from the Deluxe edition too.
The Ultimate edition showed at full price at first, because I hadn't "purchased" for free the second DLC that just came out, but after I did, it said I owned the UE.

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I had the season pass purchased so both DLC items would show as "free" on the PS store. I had purchased the free DLC 1 but had not purchased DLC 2 yet last night when I saw this thread bumped. I went to the ultimate edition and it showed the normal price and no download button as if I didn't own it. Then I "purchased" the free DLC 2 and the ultimate edition updated to show that I owned it.

I think a lot of people had assumed there was a lot of work on the back-end to check for multiple purchases or that it was even impossible, but we now know that it's a switch to flip.

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Even myself

Just looked on my PS4. Went to the store and found Control Ultimate Edition which is listed as a Bundle and the option it had was start so I pushed it and it booted up the game.

So it seems like it's not even a different SKU it's literally the same bundle as what was previously offered. I bought the Digital Deluxe Edition for reference.
Looking at the store on my PC the price is shown, but the button just says download to my PS4.

It would be pretty shitty if base game + season pass holders are left out of this "upgrade".

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So I was able to navigate to the store and launch Control Ultimate edition which didn't initialize any downloads it just booted up the Digital Deluxe edition I already have installed showing that the game itself isn't even a different SKU as others had speculated.

Not long after, this accidental upgrade was revoked.

Okay so 13 hours ago, and throughout the day, I was able to download control from the Ultimate Edition store page and it showed as purchased on my end. Now, the web browser store and the store on PS4 tells me to "add (the game) to my basket" instead of "download to my PS4."

They flicked the switch to prevent access that they previously allowed.

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Same with me. Store now says "Add to Basket"

The fact that I launched the game from the store page earlier today and now it's telling me I don't own the "Ultimate" edition is a joke.

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Yep....same thing here.

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Prettttttyy scummy!

Ultimate Edition showed as "Purchased" last night for me, too, but now it's asking me to buy it.

If you're going to insist I buy it again, 505, at least give me a new trophy list to complete.

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I've got to say, everything about this Ultimate Edition has been a clusterfuck. From promoting the game hard with the reveal of the "AWE" expansion and putting the game on sale then a day after the sale ended announcing the Ultimate Edition with its exclusive next gen upgrade path. Then their dismissive excuse for why they can't upgrade people who own the game + season pass to the Ultimate Edition even though they are exactly the same content (and apparently SKU). Now with this error showing what they said was impossible to actually be so possible they accidentally forgot to turn off the automatic upgrade, I couldn't be more disappointed.

I've always been a fan of Remedy and will continue to support them in the future as long as they don't work with 505 Games again.
505 Games though, I will never purchase another of their published titles ever again.

[edit]Twitter Evidence

Found via google search of 505 Games News from https://gearnuke.com/control-ultimate-edition-reportedly-fee-for-season-pass-owners/

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[edit 2] Still selling Standard Edition

Oh I forgot. They have also left Control Standard Edition on the store probably in the hope people accidentally buy that version of the game.

Ultimate Edition $39.99
Standard Edition $59.99

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[edit 3]Gaming Press reports story

"A lack of Control around the whole situation." - Android Central
"505 Games Contradicts Themselves With Control Ultimate Edition Blunder" - LordsofGaming
"505 & Remedy Under Fire After A Mistake With Deploying Control Upgrades Digital Deluxe To Ultimate Edition" - HappyGamer
"Control Deluxe Edition owners accidentally get upgraded to Ultimate Edition after 5050 said it wasn't possible." - VG247
"Control PS5 Upgrade Controversy Worsens as Owners Accidentally Get Free Access to Ultimate Edition" - PushSquare
"505 Games expose themselves after accidentally giving Control owners Ultimate Edition" - AtlChar
"505 Games Accidently Gives Control Owners Ultimate Edition Games After Claiming it Was Impossible" - Glitched.online
" Control Deluxe Edition owners are abruptly upgraded and then downgraded, which stands in opposition to an earlier statement from 505 and Remedy. " - GameRant
" The impossible turned out to be quite possible, just a pity that the "bug" was quickly fixed. " - Gram.pl (polish)
"Control's cross-gen controversy reignites after some PS4 owners accidentally upgraded free" - Eurogamer
"Games makes a blunder; Upgrade to PS5 edition of Control that was not possible turns out to be possible" - PSX Sense (Dutch)
"Control: Ultimate Edition was temporarily shown as being owned by Digital Deluxe owners on PS4" - TheSixthAxis
"A news received very favorably by the community which already imagined a change of course on the part of 505 Games... So it would seem that this was just a mistake, to the chagrin of users" - JeuxVideo (French)
"CONTROL - 505 GAMES SWORE IT WAS IMPOSSIBLE, BUT OWNERS OF THE DELUXE EDITION WERE ABLE TO GRAB THE ULTIMATE EDITION" - WarLegend (French)
"Paid next-gen upgrade Control reveals lies and deceptions" - Gamesite (Slovak)
"Control : 505 Games enables free Ultimate Upgrade and takes it away from players" - XboxDynasty (German)
"Although the publisher claimed this was impossible, for countless Control owners, the Deluxe version has changed to Ultimate" IGN Hungary
"Control's PS4 owners get — then lose — Ultimate Edition granting next-gen upgrade" - ReportDoor
"Control's Deluxe Edition accidentally upgrades to Ultimate Edition, despite Remedy claiming it was impossible" - TheDigitalFix
"Control Players Accidentally Upgraded to Ultimate Edition Before Having Access Revoked" - XboxAchievements
"This is getting absurd: 505 Games has accidentally upgraded owners of the Digital Deluxe edition of Control to the Ultimate Edition (which includes next-gen compatibility) - and then reversed it" - SportsGaming
"At this point, it seems increasingly and incredibly unlikely 505 Games is actually restricted from providing players an upgrade. " - TechTelegraph
"What has happened in the past few hours, however, shows that there are no such problems and it will be interesting to understand if the company wants to intervene on the issue to explain what really happened." - Aroged
" Launch date gaffe on PlayStation Store makes a fishy explanation even fishier " - Polygon
"The Mystery Around Control's Next-Gen Upgrade Restrictions Takes Another Weird Turn" - Kotaku

How much bad publicity DO you take before you make amends?

... The day is still young.

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[edit 4] Jim Sterling Video

Jim Sterling's also now done a video covering this.

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[TheInfinityGauntlet]

I've never seen such a sharp but deserved fall from grace

 

[DNAbro]

What a shit show

 

[Aurica]

Ooh... revoking it is painful... they'll feel the ire for this fuck up, I imagine.

 

[Sha_96]

Isn't Control the only game that had a clusterfuck around the upgrade thingy? Couldn't they just be normal like everyone else ...

 

[Palette Swap]

LMAO, 505 are so full of shit.

"- There's no way we could do it, it's way too complicated
- Guys, I think you just did.
- Hold on a sec while we undo it, okay"

 

[Thera]

Is that true for people that have the game on disc? If not, they didn't lie (yet).

 

[MinerArcaniner]

Wow, so pretending that a compilation of the game + DLC was a completely different product was bullshit. Who could've guessed? /s

 

[hydruxo]

But the "blockers" though!!!!!

505 Games is trash.

 

[Aostia82]

What a shit show

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Totally

 

[Leeway]

Thanks for making this thread.

What an absolutely scummy thing to do. They've gone ahead with their plan now so even if they decide to backtrack there are people that would've bought it. What an absolute disaster that could have entirely been avoided.

 

[Snarfington]

I wanted to play Control on next gen so bad, as I didn't play it yet, and all this utter shite is just making want to take my money elsewhere.

 

[Zojirushi]

I feel bad for the 505 dude here on ERA lol

 

[anexanhume]

More like 404 games.

 

[Tansut]

Who would have thought lying pieces of shit would prove to be lying pieces of shit?

 

[Atheerios]

Nobody should support them by buying that edition.

 

[ps3ud0]

Excellent, was considering buying this. Won't now...

Probably get the PC version eventually.

ps3ud0 8)

 

[thebigword]

What the fuck? 505 are absolute scum.

 

[Layell]

There needs to be a "we can't just flip a switch" Hall of Fame, with Xbone, Sims, and now this.

 

[RockmanBN]

 

[Muitnorts]

Tremendous bullshit. It's basically unarguable now that they shouldn't get away with it, they couldn't even tell the difference between versions themselves apparently.

 

[Secretofmateria]

fuck 505, remedy is guilty by association

 

[jroc74]

Oh my, not a good look, at all.

 

[criteriondog]

Same thing happened to me yesterday.

 

[Damn Silly]

Damage control damages Control

 

[PlayBee]

There needs to be a "we can't just flip a switch" Hall of Fame, with Xbone, Sims, and now this.

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Don't forget crossplay on PS4

 

[bluehat9]

I'm shocked! Absolutely shocked!

 

[defaltoption]

There needs to be a "we can't just flip a switch" Hall of Fame, with Xbone, Sims, and now this.

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Dont forget cross play when it magically appeared in Fortnite on ps4

 

[Kolx]

More like 404 games.

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I chuckled.

 

[SmittyWerbenManJensen]

Damnnn. Fuck this company. I want to play Control someday, so I will just find a used copy.

 

[Bunta]

And i oop

 

[Deleted member 31817]

Lmfao

 

[Jawmuncher]

That's some commitment

 

[Dr. Ludwig]

505 are lying their asses off when they say that they ran into "blockers!"

Shit company.

 

[Sydle]

Welp, that made it easy to decide I will never buy the ultimate version. Hopefully 505 gives in at some point.

 

[OSHAN]

Glad I played it on PS Now before all this nonsense.

 

[Hero_of_the_Day]

The blocker had one job!

 

[xem]

whew, that is... something. rough.

 

[Deleted member 51539]

Damage control damages Control

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Well played.

 

[asd202]

lol

 

[Sir_Bumble_Bee]

Reallyyyyy don't envy their PR department

 

[Kyuuji]

Embarrassing lol. Whole thing has been a mess and it's a damn shame it had to be wrapped around Control.

 

[Sho_Nuff82]

Damage control damages Control

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This is gold.

I had previously given them the benefit of the doubt that maybe the OG game had issues that would break compatibility with the GOTY edition, but nope. Same game + DLC + patches.

 

[GrrImAFridge]

Isn't Control the only game that had a clusterfuck around the upgrade thingy? Couldn't they just be normal like everyone else ...

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Acti is charging $10 for next-gen CoD, but even that is better than what 505 has conjured up.

 

[Deleted member 4260]

Trash. Just trash.

 

[purseowner]

505 taking the title of the game as a mission statement

 

[i hate cheaters]

impossible?

 

[P A Z]

Scumbags

 

[Edge]

God this needs to blow up HARD, can someone get the word out?

 

[ThatMeanScene]

I already don't support EA, Ubisoft, and Activision. This is another one to add to the list. Disgraceful.