As billions around the world are now confined to their homes, gaming – for many – is a welcome escape and a way to keep laughing, learning, and connecting with one another. We feel fortunate, in this unprecedented situation, if our games can even play a small part in that.
Now more than ever before, we also have an opportunity to embody the values of equality and solidarity that we have, at heart, as a passionate community of players and to do our part. This commitment has recently translated into the vital goal of helping to preserve Internet access and stability for everyone, especially businesses and emergency services who need them the most.
While playing games online is a remarkably low-bandwidth activity, downloading content at top speed can become a very demanding task for networks, especially as millions more people are simultaneously turning to digital services and content. This is why we are working collectively with partners and stakeholders to ensure that we continue to offer you the best possible gaming experience and a variety of fun, new ways to stay occupied, while also temporarily adapting our services to minimize our common impact.
For console players, Microsoft and Sony have already taken steps in that direction. For PC players, our Content Delivery Network* partner Akamai, has offered new tools to better control bandwidth usage. These changes do not affect the gameplay quality or speed of our online gaming experience but can explain why some of you may see slower or delayed game downloads. Ubisoft also is rolling out temporary measures to further reduce the stress on the system, including:
- Releasing new content and updates outside of peak usage hours, on all platforms, to avoid downloads congestion
- Changing the auto-patching window for all PC games played via Uplay, from four months to one month
- Structuring and scheduling preloads of new content or free game offers (except for patches) where possible
If you are using Uplay, we invite you to join our efforts by adjusting your download settings in the launcher and follow general guidance on how to temporarily adapt your download habits, like scheduling your download activities during nights or weekends.
For more information on how to change your download preferences in Uplay, we have created this dedicated support page.
Thank you for your understanding and ongoing support in these trying times, and for playing your part and playing at home.
*Akamai’s Content Delivery Network (CDN) is a global distributed network of servers that accelerate the delivery of content to your device
