No DLC for Uplay Digital Deluxe and how to fix it

[_fps]

The pure Uplay version of AC3 is busted beyond belief when it comes to accessing the DLC.
I'm making this thread primarily for Ubi employees to see, but it's also a vague guide of sorts for owners of the Uplay version looking for a solution for their missing downloadable content since the Ubi forums don't exist anymore, and a mildly interesting rant for those who own the Steam version because these issues aren't as prevalent there.

To clarify, I have a legal copy of the non-Steam Uplay Digital Deluxe edition with all content (Tyranny, Benedict Arnold, Hidden Secrets), and have played through it a few times in the past without major issues.

I decided to revisit the game in 2025.

To even launch it, I had to remove the "localization.lang" file, which for some odd reason kept crashing the game upon launch.
The heavy flickering I was greeted with was fixed by turning on the 'Disable fullscreen optimizations' compatibility option for the exe.
These were the easy fixes.

Then I noticed that no DLC got installed. Keep in mind, I paid for those, I legally own the edition that has all content.
Remembering my previous playthrough in 2020, where I already had to solve that issue by downloading then manually installing all executable DLC packages (because even back then Uplay only installed the base game files), I tried this very method again. It didn't work this time. Since the servers are gone, despite having all files installed, the DLC would not unlock, because the game would still have to verify ownership online.
I found that the "1.save" file also keeps track of DLC ownership. So if you have played the Deluxe Edition and verified your activation key in the extras menu BEFORE the server shutdowns, you could use the save files the game generated for you to gain access to your extra content. Good thing I frequently backed up of my save because I don't trust the cloud, so I was able import my own 100% save files from 2020.
It partially worked, I could now see and access the Tyranny and Benedict levels, but the Hidden Secrets missions and gear were nowhere to be found. (Fun fact: Connor defaulted to spawning in with the Gunstock War Club, which I never used, rather than Obwandiyag's War Club, which is a DLC item that I had on Connor in the endgame.)
I spent most of my time attempting to fix this issue with various methods that didn't lead anywhere so those are pointless to go over, but one thing to note is saves from legal copies will only work with legal copies, while saves from pirated copies will only work with pirated copies. Therefore I needed to get my legal copy working.
The final solution was to somehow get a steam depot that has all necessary files (don't ask me where you can get that), copy and paste just about every file INCLUDING the exe and Steam api dlls into the Uplay version's install folder, BUT skip the ubi api / uplay dlls at the bottom of the folder.
That's the only thing that worked for me. I now have access to my game as it's supposed to be.

Ubisoft, please, for the love of god, get someone on the team to look at it and fix your damn depot on your home platform. You bother with updating the game's stupid achievements, but it takes a player 2 days of troubleshooting to even figure how to get the full game working.
I know it's an 'old' (2012 lmao) game, a remaster exists (massive visual downgrade), and it's also delisted (a bunch of people still own it), but you owe it to the players to make a game playable if they paid money for it. Similar issues with the DLC of Revelations and Liberation HD, both require troubleshooting and files that are a pain to acquire.
It's single player content. It's unreasonable to render it inaccessible. Those who own that DLC have the right to play it. It's such an easy fix on your part.
My genuine question is, will you be surprised if people won't care to buy these games anymore if piracy is not only cheaper (free) but also way easier to set up the full games with, because you refuse to do the bare minimum of support for them?

Tldr: If you own a copy of AC3 Deluxe on Uplay and can't access the DLC, you have to replace almost the whole install package with the files from a complete Steam depot and have a non-pirate save file that has all DLC activated.

[poltsy]

It's downright criminal how they patched the game to tell you the DLC can't be "activated" instead of just removing the requirement.

All just a cartoon villain ploy to sell you the remaster.

[Nordom]

They have heard your complaints and have now made the original game unable to be installed: https://www.reddit.com/r/assassinscreed3/comments/1jxkszp/ac3_wont_start_downloading/

[h2h81]

I spent months going back and forth with Ubi Support trying to fix this DLC issue and eventually gave up. I absolutely agree we should not lose access to single-player content for which we paid, and I filed a complaint with the FTC about it.

I'm interested to see your solution and hope it helps others, but if I'm understanding it correctly would it involve breaking some EULA's with Ubi and/or Steam? If so then despite how unconscionable their behavior is, I cannot avail myself of this workaround. I'm an attorney and beyond the ethical matter of particular oaths I've taken and even more particular agreements I've entered into, there's the more practical matter of my professional license. Would they ever find out? I highly doubt it. But still.

If I've misunderstood then I've be happy to hear.

Just now seeing the reports of the game being uninstallable. That's atrocious. I've thankfully kept the game installed since this DLC issue first arose. But I've actually been worried that Ubisoft -- and eventually others -- might go down this road.

Here's what I do with my PSN digital content, and what I've been considering doing with my Steam digital content, precisely to guard against not just delistings but unwelcome alterations: I keep portable SSDs filled with my purchased games and DLC. The SanDisk "Extreme Pro" is my favorite, but Samsung makes some good ones too in their T (T7, T9) series (they can run a little slower than advertised once they start to fill up). Once I purchase a new game, I download it immediately to my "games to play" SSD. Once I've played it and want to "shelve" it, instead of uninstalling it and forgetting about it, I uninstall it and immediately redownload it to my "storage" SSDs. I've trusted Steam more than PSN (not sure why) so I haven't yet done this with PC games, but I think I might consider doing so. Starting with my entire Ubi collection.

[_fps]

Originally posted by poltsy:

It's downright criminal how they patched the game to tell you the DLC can't be "activated" instead of just removing the requirement.

All just a cartoon villain ploy to sell you the remaster.

Indeed, they keep surprising me constantly, years after I convinced myself that I couldn't be surprised by them anymore.

Originally posted by Nordom:

They have heard your complaints and have now made the original game unable to be installed: https://www.reddit.com/r/assassinscreed3/comments/1jxkszp/ac3_wont_start_downloading/

Hmm, that reddit thread seems to have been made a couple days earlier than this one. The base game downloaded and installed fine for me (I'm EU, not sure if region matters).
The most I could replicate from that thread is that Uplay now constantly wants me to "update" AC3, but it doesn't actually do anything, and I can just bypass it by expanding the arrow next to the update prompt and click singleplayer.
Still, I believe everyone in that thread. The game's broken, the installer is broken, the depot is broken.

I wish I could see how Ubisoft's internal structure operates, out of sheer curiosity. I mean I'm sure a team of three or four qualified employees can be delegated to respond to such an insane issue and fix it in an easy day or two, especially if dozens of people are reporting such an issue.
I wonder how many layers of corporate paperwork something has to go through until they get someone to work on it.
(To be frank, on a completely unrelated note, EA is also guilty of being this lazy. Bulletstorm's Origin version was unusable last time I checked, but the steam one works fine with tweaks.)

[_fps]

Originally posted by h2h81:

I spent months going back and forth with Ubi Support trying to fix this DLC issue and eventually gave up. I absolutely agree we should not lose access to single-player content for which we paid, and I filed a complaint with the FTC about it.

I'm interested to see your solution and hope it helps others, but if I'm understanding it correctly would it involve breaking some EULA's with Ubi and/or Steam? If so then despite how unconscionable their behavior is, I cannot avail myself of this workaround. I'm an attorney and beyond the ethical matter of particular oaths I've taken and even more particular agreements I've entered into, there's the more practical matter of my professional license. Would they ever find out? I highly doubt it. But still.

If I've misunderstood then I've be happy to hear.

Just now seeing the reports of the game being uninstallable. That's atrocious. I've thankfully kept the game installed since this DLC issue first arose. But I've actually been worried that Ubisoft -- and eventually others -- might go down this road.

Here's what I do with my PSN digital content, and what I've been considering doing with my Steam digital content, precisely to guard against not just delistings but unwelcome alterations: I keep portable SSDs filled with my purchased games and DLC. The SanDisk "Extreme Pro" is my favorite, but Samsung makes some good ones too in their T (T7, T9) series (they can run a little slower than advertised once they start to fill up). Once I purchase a new game, I download it immediately to my "games to play" SSD. Once I've played it and want to "shelve" it, instead of uninstalling it and forgetting about it, I uninstall it and immediately redownload it to my "storage" SSDs. I've trusted Steam more than PSN (not sure why) so I haven't yet done this with PC games, but I think I might consider doing so. Starting with my entire Ubi collection.

Yoo!
Nice to see you've escalated the fight a bit, I hope you'll get results! Consumers are losing way too many rights nowadays. Keep us posted!

Well, the thread is just the story of my personal workaround for the issue I've encountered with the pure Uplay version, which might not even work for everyone, that's why I didn't go into technical details on how to do the stuff, but it can be done without breaking any laws I'm pretty sure.
If you have access to a Steam version (which is actually a Steam-Uplay hybrid requiring both launchers like most Ubi games since AC2), through any legal method such as the family sharing or simply owning it (lmao why even play the pure Uplay one then you might ask). Then you could download it and create the fully functional 'Frankenstein monstrosity' of files from the two different installation folders.
It can also be done the 'other' way, sure, where you get all the necessary missing game files from one of the sites we obviously can't name here, but to answer your question, I believe it's possible to do it completely legally.

The game is approaching abandonware status at a ridiculously rapid pace, Ubi is embracing the remaster and it seems they want this version completely gone from the face of the earth, with no digital store to buy it from and only a handful of grey market gift codes floating about, so I doubt any financial harm will be done to this multi billion dollar company if someone who already owns the game acquires certain files, that the company was supposed to provide, from file hosting sites. But I understand your concern, given your profession.

You're smart to have your PSN library on portable storage devices, I suppose it's really time to start archiving all our stuff now, especially considering that digital download licenses for a game are silently being taken away from us in real time and mean nothing now. Crazy times, eh?

[Nordom]

Originally posted by _fps:

Hmm, that reddit thread seems to have been made a couple days earlier than this one. The base game downloaded and installed fine for me (I'm EU, not sure if region matters).

Might just be people who have it on ubisoft's store, but I got the itch to replay the series worked my way up to 3 and constantly got failed to start download errors for it and googling led me to that thread of people complaining about the same issue.

[Hino]

Download on Steam, Activate the Three CD keys on Uplay, Download it on Uplay, Copy the Uplay files to the steam folder (Skip duplicates) and then copy that new grouping back to the Uplay folder (Again Skip duplicates). Worked for me

[_fps]

Originally posted by Nordom:

Might just be people who have it on ubisoft's store, but I got the itch to replay the series worked my way up to 3 and constantly got failed to start download errors for it and googling led me to that thread of people complaining about the same issue.

I've got AC3 from the ubi store too. Not sure what happened exactly, cause I was unable to replicate it. It must have been an issue with Ubisoft Connect itself, maybe they ♥♥♥♥♥♥ up a patch. The redditors say it's working now, if you still have the urge to play through the game, we can see if your download actually works.

Originally posted by Hino:

Download on Steam, Activate the Three CD keys on Uplay, Download it on Uplay, Copy the Uplay files to the steam folder (Skip duplicates) and then copy that new grouping back to the Uplay folder (Again Skip duplicates). Worked for me

Hell yea, nice to hear that!
Your concise writeup on how to easily do the fix is good stuff, it's way better than how I've phrased it. Gets the job done efficiently too.