Ubisoft Sets The Crew Motorfest for Switch 2 on Oct. 8, Requires Online Play

Q: With games now sold as download keys in a box, is the era of true physical game ownership officially over?

Yes—at least in the traditional sense of buying a game fully stored on a cartridge or disc and keeping it independently of online services, that era is largely ending. The Crew Motorfest on Switch 2 is a clear example. Even the “physical” version is a Game-Key Card, meaning the box contains a license trigger, not the full game data, and Ubisoft also requires a constant online connection to play. In practice, that makes ownership dependent on servers, storefront access, and publisher support. That said, physical ownership is not completely dead; it has changed into a hybrid form. Nintendo’s Game-Key Cards still preserve some old advantages that pure digital purchases usually do not: they can be resold, lent, and bought in stores, because the card is not locked to one account. For collectors and second-hand buyers, that still matters. But the core shift is unmistakable. More games now require downloads, patches, account systems, or always-online checks even when sold in boxes. Publishers favor this because large cartridges are costly, digital distribution is cheaper, and online control improves margins. Industry moves toward digital-only releases on other platforms reinforce that direction. So the better answer is that true physical ownership is no longer the norm. What remains is a compromise: physical packaging and transferability in some cases, but not the self-contained, permanent ownership players once associated with cartridges and discs.

3 articles · Updated · Nintendo Life · Jul 8

October 8 is the release date Ubisoft gave for The Crew Motorfest on Switch 2, bringing the 2023 racer to Nintendo’s new hardware.
The Switch 2 edition keeps the same online-only requirement as the PC, PlayStation and Xbox versions, limiting true on-the-go play despite the handheld format.
Hawaii-set The Crew Motorfest is the third game in the series and will be sold both digitally and in a physical Game-Key Card edition.
The port extends a title that drew praise for its handling, activity variety and O'ahu setting, with one review calling it the series’ best entry yet.