WARNING: Your UBI+ save will not work with the standard edition of a game. Even saves for games you already own can be broken

flyinj · Oct 5, 2023

I thought this was thread worthy as lots of people are using Ubi+ to play Mirage.

Because Ubi+ forces you to use the Deluxe Edition of a game, it will add content to your save game that will make it incompatible with the standard edition of the game. This means that if you are playing Mirage on Ubi+ and want to buy the game later to continue your only option to use that save game is to buy the deluxe edition.

Even worse if you subscribe to Ubi+ and install a game you already own it will download the deluxe edition. If you load your save it will add deluxe edition content to your save and you won't be able to use it again on your owned standard edition once you stop using Ubi+.

And this also happens with any Crew Motorfest five hour trial saves you have. I loaded up Motorfest and it added a bunch of "deluxe editon" content to my save, so now I'll never be able to use that trial save on a standard edition of the game.

CloseTalker · Oct 5, 2023

Well that seems like a huge fuck up. I'm not sure how they get around the extra content issue. They should just only make regular editions available via Ubi+, there's no expectation to make a more expensive version available.

Are we 100% sure Ubi+ gives access to Deluxe versions specifically? Games like The Crew Motorfest also have Gold and Ultimate editions.

flyinj · Oct 5, 2023

CloseTalker said:
Well that seems like a huge fuck up. I'm not sure how they get around the extra content issue. They should just only make regular editions available via Ubi+, there's no expectation to make a more expensive version available.

Yes they should allow you to download either the standard or deluxe edition and make it crystal clear that if you download the deluxe edition your save will only work with a deluxe edition from that point forward.

The fact that the service can actually ruin the save games for your already owned games is inexcusable.

CloseTalker · Oct 5, 2023

flyinj said:
Yes they should allow you to download either the standard or deluxe edition and make it crystal clear that if you download the deluxe edition your save will only work with a deluxe edition from that point forward.

They should also allow you to upgrade your version for the price difference. If I picked up a standard copy of The Crew next year, and found out my save was only for the deluxe version but I could upgrade to that version for the $10 price difference, that would seem fair to me

Edit: Looking at the Xbox store page, Ubi+ actually gives you the ULTIMATE version of The Crew Motorfest. Which is $159 CAD lol. So if I unsubscribe, my only option to continue that save is to buy the Ultimate Edition at some point.

CloseTalker · Oct 5, 2023

Looks like they do mention this in their support FAQ. The list of games isn't current though, it seems like it would effect basically every Ubisoft game that has multiple versions (which is essentially all of them)

Chiaroscuro · Oct 5, 2023

How the hell a saving file is tied to a license you have? If you get a standard version later on your save should work no matter what, you just should be barren from the content you don't own. Horrible saving system structure, specially because on those games any DLC isn't really separated files, it is integrated in the main game by updates and you just have a license dictating what content you can access.

flyinj · Oct 5, 2023

CloseTalker said:
Edit: Looking at the Xbox store page, Ubi+ actually gives you the ULTIMATE version of The Crew Motorfest. Which is $159 CAD lol. So if I unsubscribe, my only option to continue that save is to buy the Ultimate Edition at some point.

Holy shit. So I've completely fucked my Crew save. Great.

flyinj · Oct 5, 2023

Chiaroscuro said:
How the hell a saving file is tied to a license you have? If you get a standard version later on your save should work no matter what, you just should be barren from the content you don't own. Horrible saving system structure, specially because on those games any DLC isn't really separated files, it is integrated in the main game by updates and you just have a license dictating what content you can access.

Either:

A) They don't want to spend resources to make this work

or

B) It's by design to force people to either continue paying $14-17 a month for the service or else they need to buy deluxe editions (or $120 ULTIMATE editions WTF) if they have the gall to cancel

Lukar · Oct 5, 2023

That's... bizarre. It didn't work that way with Ubisoft+ and Valhalla, did it?

I've never subbed to Ubi+, but I did own Valhalla on multiple platforms, some of which I didn't have the DLC from the deluxe edition, the expansions, etc. on. When I used my save on those platforms, any items from those DLCs were just temporarily removed from my inventory and then re-added once I switched back to a platform that I owned the DLC on.

So for example, on PC, I would equip the armor you got for pre-ordering Dawn of Ragnarok, and then if I switched to playing on PlayStation (where I did not pre-order it), the game would take those items out of my inventory. But when I switched back to playing on PC, they were returned to me. Ad no point did it lock me out of my save file wholesale.

I know that isn't quite the same scenario as this, but my point is that since they already have a system in place to disable items as needed depending on content ownership, it's strange that they aren't using it.

Chiaroscuro · Oct 5, 2023

flyinj said:
Either:

A) They don't want to spend resources to make this work

or

B) It's by design to force people to either continue paying $14-17 a month for the service or else they need to buy deluxe editions (or $120 ULTIMATE editions WTF) if they have the gall to cancel

Most likely B.

CloseTalker · Oct 5, 2023

I mean, it's a tough problem to solve. If a deluxe verison gives you access to an exclusive mission, and you complete that mission, there's no real way to undo that when you revert back to a regular edition. I wish they'd just be able to say "hey, if you want to continue your saved game you need to pay X dollars to upgrade to the version you were playing with Ubi+"

It's easy to see how the system could be abused. I maintain that they should just make the regular versions available, but also I kind of get it because the purpose of the subscription isn't really to try before you buy. They want you to stay subscribed

Golbez · Oct 5, 2023

Different save files for standard/gold/ultimate editions? Is this a first?

flyinj · Oct 5, 2023

Lukar said:
That's... bizarre. It didn't work that way with Ubisoft+ and Valhalla, did it?

I've never subbed to Ubi+, but I did own Valhalla on multiple platforms, some of which I didn't have the DLC from the deluxe edition, The Siege of Paris, etc. on. When I used my save on those platforms, any items from those DLCs were just temporarily removed from my inventory and then re-added once I switched back to a platform that I owned the DLC on.

So for example, on PC, I would equip the armor you got for pre-ordering Dawn of Ragnarok, and then if I switched to playing on PlayStation (where I did not pre-order it), the game would take those items out of my inventory. But when I switched back to playing on PC, they were returned to me.

I know that isn't quite the same scenario as this, but my point is that since they already have a system in place to disable items as needed depending on content ownership, it's strange that they aren't using it.

Someone in the other thread had the exact opposite experience as you. They owned and played the standard Valhalla edition then later subscribed to Ubi+ and installed it again. This added all the deluxe edition content to their save and when they unsubscribed and loaded the standard edition it told them that their save wasn't compatible.

Lukar · Oct 5, 2023

flyinj said:
Someone in the other thread had the exact opposite experience as you. They owned Valhalla then subscribed to Ubi+ and installed it. This added all the deluxe edition content to their save and when they unsubscribed and loaded the standard edition it told them that their save wasn't compatible.

Wow. So they have that system in place for when you own different versions of the game on different platforms, but if Ubisoft+ is thrown into the mix, they just say "Nah, you have to buy it"? Lame.

CloseTalker · Oct 5, 2023

Golbez said:
Different save files for standard/gold/ultimate editions? Is this a first?

It's not really that. The issue is it's easy to provide you more content without breaking your save. It's difficult (really, it might be impossible) to take content away

flyinj · Oct 5, 2023

Lukar said:
Wow. So they have that system in place for when you own different versions of the game on different platforms, but if Ubisoft+ is thrown into the mix, they just say "Nah, you have to buy it"? Lame.

That seems to be the case? That would be so cynical if true.

CloseTalker · Oct 5, 2023

Honestly, I'm more annoyed at myself for not looking into this ahead of time. I knew Ubi+ gave you premium editions of games, they use that as part of their marketing. I never really considered what would happen if I unsubscribed and then purchased a downgraded version of the game. If I had thought it through, I probably would have predicted this exact thing. I might unsub and just wait for the ultimate edition of The Crew to go on deep sale (which, it's Ubisoft, it won't take long).

Super Craig · Oct 5, 2023

Forza Horizon 4/5 manages this quite well. DLC cars stay in your garage, but can't be accessed if you don't have the rights on your own account.

CloseTalker · Oct 5, 2023

Super Craig said:
Forza Horizon 4/5 manages this quite well. DLC cars stay in your garage, but can't be accessed if you don't have the rights on your own account.

The extras included in Forza Premium Editions have a benefit of being pretty easy to grant and restrict access to if need be. Ubisoft ultimate editions often include things like extra missions, side content, season passes, etc. I think the issue comes when someone subs to Ubi+ for a month, plays Assassin's Creed and all the expansions included, and then unsubs and buys the regular version without those expansions. It can be hard to take that progression back in every scenario.

I don't think Ubi+ is handling it as well as they could be at all, but I understand the issue there is to deal with.

Captain of Outer Space · Oct 5, 2023

I want to say that the deluxe edition save stuff from Ubisoft+ not working with the regular versions has been known, but it's still hilariously fucked that they're consistently refusing to solve these issues that have been around for years. It was an annoying thing early on in the physical to digital transition, but to still have that issue some 10-15 years later is completely a fuckup on the publisher's part.

Is this the same issue on the Xbox version of the service or is it just PC?

CloseTalker · Oct 5, 2023

Captain of Outer Space said:
I want to say that the deluxe edition save stuff from Ubisoft+ not working with the regular versions has been known, but it's still hilariously fucked that they're consistently refusing to solve these issues that have been around for years. It was an annoying thing early on in the physical to digital transition, but to still have that issue some 10-15 years later is completely a fuckup on the publisher's part.

Agreed.
Baseline, if absolutely nothing else, they should be able to provide a popup that says "To continue your save game you must upgrade to the Deluxe edition for X dollars, otherwise you'll need to start a new save".

I feel like that's entirely fair and achievable

Zebesian-X · Oct 5, 2023

Well that sucks. Not a big deal for a shorter game like Mirage, but I'll definitely be taking this into consideration for stuff like Outlaws and AC Red

Bunkem · Oct 5, 2023

Lukar said:
That's... bizarre. It didn't work that way with Ubisoft+ and Valhalla, did it?

I've never subbed to Ubi+, but I did own Valhalla on multiple platforms, some of which I didn't have the DLC from the deluxe edition, the expansions, etc. on. When I used my save on those platforms, any items from those DLCs were just temporarily removed from my inventory and then re-added once I switched back to a platform that I owned the DLC on.

So for example, on PC, I would equip the armor you got for pre-ordering Dawn of Ragnarok, and then if I switched to playing on PlayStation (where I did not pre-order it), the game would take those items out of my inventory. But when I switched back to playing on PC, they were returned to me. Ad no point did it lock me out of my save file wholesale.

I know that isn't quite the same scenario as this, but my point is that since they already have a system in place to disable items as needed depending on content ownership, it's strange that they aren't using it.

Yeah this isn't what happened to me at all with Valhalla. I had vanilla Valhalla on xbox, played a fair chunk of it but fell off. Picked it back up with a ubi+ trial on pc that I got to try Anno but naively booted into Valhalla during that 14 days to see how it looked on pc. Really got back into Valhalla only to find that my save wouldn't load on Xbox once the deluxe junk was stripped from my version of the game again.

Lukar · Oct 5, 2023

Bunkem said:
Yeah this isn't what happened to me at all with Valhalla. I had vanilla Valhalla on xbox, played a fair chunk of it but fell off. Picked it back up with a ubi+ trial on pc that I got to try Anno but naively booted into Valhalla during that 14 days to see how it looked on pc. Really got back into Valhalla only to find that my save wouldn't load on Xbox once the deluxe junk was stripped from my version of the game again.

That's so weird. The common thread here with it disabling save access seems to be Ubisoft+. I don't know why they handle saves differently if you play with that. You would think they would just handle it the same way they do for people who purchased the game on each platform, and let you use the save but without access to any DLC stuff unless you buy it for the platform you're currently on.

That's really shitty and confusing of them.

Tacitus · Oct 5, 2023

Golbez said:
Different save files for standard/gold/ultimate editions? Is this a first?

It's more about the saves being incompatible when DLC is added/removed. Which isn't a unique problem and can also come up with modding.

Tobor · Oct 5, 2023

Super dumb. I guess the one positive is these are Ubisoft games, so the deluxe editions will be cheap if you're willing to wait.

Chiaroscuro · Oct 5, 2023

CloseTalker said:
I mean, it's a tough problem to solve. If a deluxe verison gives you access to an exclusive mission, and you complete that mission, there's no real way to undo that when you revert back to a regular edition. I wish they'd just be able to say "hey, if you want to continue your saved game you need to pay X dollars to upgrade to the version you were playing with Ubi+"

But those games are multiplatform and cross-play, and as someone already pointed that, the games work on those condition (no DLC in one of the platform and the save still works) is no reason to not work the same way with Ubi+ unless it is by design.

CelestialAtom · Oct 5, 2023

Ubisoft already lost my business with their atrocious sign-up process for Ubi+ (locking your Ubisoft account to one Xbox account, and not allowing you to link another one instead). Reaching out to their customer service to fix shit in the past was already a huge headache, so I'm not wasting my time with their garbage. I'll get Mirage once it is like $20 so I don't have to deal with this save file bullshit, either.

flyinj · Oct 5, 2023

I'm actually starting to wonder if you can even play your Mirage save game at all outside of Ubi+

The Ubi+ edition includes both the "Deluxe Pack" and the 40 Thieves pre-order DLC. Looking at the product description for the Deluxe Edition and "Deluxe Pack" upgrade, neither includes the 40 Thieves preorder DLC.

So if there is no way to get the 40 Thieves DLC outside of subscribing to Ubi+, there would be no way to use your save game on any other version of the game.

Megustaelmate · Oct 5, 2023

Yup that's how I lost my max level agent in the division 2. Went from ultimate edition in ubi+ to standard, was never able to log in again had to delete character

flyinj · Oct 5, 2023

Megustaelmate said:
Yup that's how I lost my max level agent in the division 2. Went from ultimate edition in ubi+ to standard, was never able to log in again had to delete character

That is brutal. How many hours lost was it?

Ascenion · Oct 5, 2023

I know Valhalla in so far as the type of DLC Mirage has doesn't actually care, it just warns you those items won't be available.

Synth · Oct 5, 2023

CloseTalker said:
The extras included in Forza Premium Editions have a benefit of being pretty easy to grant and restrict access to if need be. Ubisoft ultimate editions often include things like extra missions, side content, season passes, etc. I think the issue comes when someone subs to Ubi+ for a month, plays Assassin's Creed and all the expansions included, and then unsubs and buys the regular version without those expansions. It can be hard to take that progression back in every scenario.

I don't think Ubi+ is handling it as well as they could be at all, but I understand the issue there is to deal with.

I'm not seeing what makes this meaningfully more complicated?

Is an item or armor exclusive to the deluxe edition? Then you can't equip it on standard.
Is a location or stage exclusive to the deluxe edition? Then you can't go there on standard, and if already there then you're spawned at a suitable save point in the main game area.

I don't see what about any of Ubisoft's games are meaningfully unique to the solutions something like Forza Horizon employs in order to not nuke your save. Forza Horizon itself is basically Ubisoft: The Racing Game.

Timu · Oct 5, 2023

Wow...that is pretty nuts.

I want to try Ubi+ but that is concerning.

flyinj · Oct 5, 2023

Ascenion said:
I know Valhalla in so far as the type of DLC Mirage has doesn't actually care, it just warns you those items won't be available.

That doesn't seem to be the case if you owned and played the game then installed the Ubi+ version then went back to your standard bought edition. It tells you that you can't use the save game in your owned version.

I'm assuming that just playing it on Ubi+ then trying to use that save in a new copy of the standard edition won't work either.

Kromis · Oct 5, 2023

Some PC games I've tried on Ubisoft+ during the past 3 years that were not affected by this

Watch Dogs 2 - funny enough, I still have access to the DLC content; at one point it was even taken away from me after like a year and a half but I access the Gold version of the game on U+ again to regain access 🤣

AC Syndicate - played all the DLC missions

AC Valhalla - I didn't get very far but my save seemed unaffected when I went to revisit it during a free play weekend (unless I'm remembering this wrong)

Far Cry 5 - DLC weapons were just taken away from the campaign

Far Cry 6 - same as above (I THINK)

Division 2 - used the level 30 character boost and the character is still playable (I didn't do very much with the char though so maybe that's why it was OK)

Timu · Oct 5, 2023

Kromis said:
Some PC games I've tried on Ubisoft+ during the past 3 years that were not affected by this

Watch Dogs 2 - funny enough, I still have access to the DLC content; at one point it was even taken away from me after like a year and a half but I access the Gold version of the game on U+ again to regain access 🤣

AC Syndicate - played all the DLC missions

AC Valhalla - I didn't get very far but my save seemed unaffected when I went to revisit it during a free play weekend (unless I'm remembering this wrong)

Far Cry 5 - DLC weapons were just taken away from the campaign

Far Cry 6 - same as above (I THINK)

Division 2 - used the level 30 character boost and the character is still playable (I didn't do very much with the char though so maybe that's why it was OK)

Oh good, at least there's that.

flyinj · Oct 5, 2023

Kromis said:
Some PC games I've tried on Ubisoft+ during the past 3 years that were not affected by this

Watch Dogs 2 - funny enough, I still have access to the DLC content; at one point it was even taken away from me after like a year and a half but I access the Gold version of the game on U+ again to regain access 🤣

AC Syndicate - played all the DLC missions

AC Valhalla - I didn't get very far but my save seemed unaffected when I went to revisit it during a free play weekend (unless I'm remembering this wrong)

Far Cry 5 - DLC weapons were just taken away from the campaign

Far Cry 6 - same as above (I THINK)

Division 2 - used the level 30 character boost and the character is still playable (I didn't do very much with the char though so maybe that's why it was OK)

Interesting.

I wonder if it happens more often on cross-platform saves

flyinj · Oct 7, 2023

So this got even more interesting in regards to The Crew Motorfest.

There is no way to start a new game in The Crew Motorfest as the save game is stored on Ubi's cloud and the online nature of the game.

So this means that if you ever play Motorfest on Ubi+ your only option to ever play the game after you cancel is to buy the $120 Ultimate edition that Ubi+ forces you to use.

There is no way to play the standard or any other lower tier edition of the game at all on your account because there is no way to start a new game save that doesnt have all the extra DLC shoved into it.

None of this has been confirmed by anyone yet but all signs point to this being the case given what we know about how previous games worked after using them on Ubi+.

Once people's month of Ubi+ lapses we will be getting some confirmation of this

Bowl0l · Oct 7, 2023

That's horrible. Is this discovered before or after Ubisoft announce they will delete consumer's entire game library?

Kromis · Oct 7, 2023

Bowl0l said:
That's horrible. Is this discovered before or after Ubisoft announce they will delete consumer's entire game library?

???

This has pretty much a thing since the inception of Ubisoft+, I think. So basically since 2020 (it released late 2019).

Bowl0l · Oct 7, 2023

Kromis said:
???

Ubisoft will delete inactive accounts — how to preserve your game library

Warning email gives users a 30-day window to cancel closure

www.tomsguide.com

Aaron D. · Oct 8, 2023

Thanks OP.

Now I can't get Queensrÿche out of my head.

nihilence · Oct 8, 2023

Related. But game pass perk was a deluxe content for Odyssey? If I don't have GPU anymore will that break too?

Soj · Oct 8, 2023

That's pretty good incentive to never use their service.

Kromis · Oct 8, 2023

nihilence said:
Related. But game pass perk was a deluxe content for Odyssey? If I don't have GPU anymore will that break too?

There was a perk for the AC Origins Deluxe Content but that was a code you had to redeem. So I don't think that'll be an issue.

delete12345 · Oct 8, 2023

Has anyone actually file a report to Ubisoft customer service, and ask if this issue is been made aware? I would rather hear it from the developers themselves to determine if this is a bug, or something else.

Charpunk · Oct 8, 2023

This has been a thing since uplay+ first came out. It sucks.

Kromis · Oct 8, 2023

delete12345 said:
Has anyone actually file a report to Ubisoft customer service, and ask if this issue is been made aware? I would rather hear it from the developers themselves to determine if this is a bug, or something else.

See post below

CloseTalker said:
Looks like they do mention this in their support FAQ. The list of games isn't current though, it seems like it would effect basically every Ubisoft game that has multiple versions (which is essentially all of them)

Fat4all · Oct 8, 2023

i keep seeing this thread and think it has sommit to do with universal basic income

WARNING: Your UBI+ save will not work with the standard edition of a game. Even saves for games you already own can be broken

Unshakable Resolve - Prophet of Truth

Unshakable Resolve - Prophet of Truth

Come Sale Away With Me

Prophet of Truth

Unshakable Resolve - Prophet of Truth

Mambo Number PS5

Prophet of Truth - One Winged Slayer

nøthing but silence

One Winged Slayer

Woke up, got a money tag, swears a lot