Watch Dogs Online Features: got a "fix" for ya, peeps.

[Tr4nscendent_]

They actually work - and in fact wonders, everything from actual multiplayer pvp activities to hotspots and even claiming that elusive "uplay reward car" that's otherwise unobtainable without a proper connection to the servers. Yep. Servers do indeed still work. Hear me out.

The thing is.. Ubisoft messed something up with game versions. Like badly.

People had this problem for ages and they still didn't do anything to fix that, and would rather spam the same "troubleshooting steps" to everyone as always.. typical, so just don't bother - if you can read my post and/or play any other online game, the problems aren't on your side, so don't even bother listening to them and sending tickets as that's pointless. Actually worse experience than talking to bots or a wall. I'm starting to doubt that they're even humans. But i digress.

Basically, there are 2 versions of the game, standard and complete. If you're like me, then you bought the complete one the other day, and now you do not have servers access, cause they just seem to poop out the error that they're supposedly unavailable. But that's not true, at all.

I fiddled with the whole thing a bit, and to my surprise to addition to my complete version of the game bought on Steam, i also had a standard edition on Uplay, probably claimed ages ago for free during some giveaway of theirs.. So i installed that second, standard copy, and found out that although they're both seemingly the same version (v1.06.329), they had one small difference in the menus - standard version had some new (absent in complete version) UI button, that opens an Ubisoft's online shop, lol.

So i figured, "hm, that's weird". Started a new game, went through the opening scenes and whatnot, opened Aiden's phone.. and it works. Right of the bat from minute 1 of the game.
Full, unrestricted access to online features (with the exception that you have to complete some tutorial missions first for some of them of course) with no connection errors.

So i went through, turned the standard version off, fired up my complete version up, loaded my save, and bam. Magic. Online started working there as well.

TLDR: If you're interested in online features of the first installment of Watch Dogs, then they're still operational, but you most likely need to install the standard version of the game in addition to your complete edition too. Now, buying a second copy of the game (even with no dlc's) just for the sake of it sounds dumb, i know - i just happened to have one more legit standard copy laying around. But if you're stubborn, there may be some other ways of getting those files, from overseas, maybe ? *wink wink* There's no guarantee that files attained in such a way will unlock your online module though, but legit standard uplay copies fix the issue 100%.

You'll also most likely want to open up your standard edition at least once after installing it, and even try and start a new game until you gain control over Aiden and can access his phone, just to be sure. If you can access leaderboards app without it being unavailable or something, then online works. For the more cautious folk: starting a new game on a separate copy makes a new folder so your complete edition saves are safe.

To anyone that finds this useful - thanks for the read, and you're welcome.

[Eruen]

seems like the fix ubisoft couldn't find by themselves, a bit random btw that you have to install the normal version to play online in the complete.

[Tr4nscendent_]

Originally posted by Eruen:

seems like the fix ubisoft couldn't find by themselves, a bit random btw that you have to install the normal version to play online in the complete.

This situation really does suck, indeed. For some reason complete edition locks us out of the online module entirely, so yeah. At least we know that servers are still actually up and running, and after installing and adding the standard version of the game to the mix, i even got my session invaded by another player a couple times and had my luck to find a few random peeps to race a few times with right afterwards, so there's still a little population to be found which is nice considering how many years passed since release.

Also to clear things up: by installing both versions simultaneously you're still obviously playing your full version of the game, the standard edition is gonna sit there solely to "unlock" the online module of the game. I didn't do that, but you also might be able to uninstall the standard version to free up disc space after online starts working in the complete.

Weird flex but.. that's Ubisoft for ya. At least some workaround since this won't get fixed naturally.

[Moppsis]

THIS is helpful! Thank you! I'll go overseas now as you said due to my pure happiness, thanks!

[laisk2004]

When I installed the game from my old CD, what do I have to do now? The game is installed twice: Complete Edition from Steam and CD version. What do I have to do to get online access in my Steam version?

Edit:
It worked for me in the Steam version after I played the Watch Dogs standard edition on the same Ubisoft account.