Ubisoft games with UPlay - Activation code pairing

[peldax]

Compatibility Report

• Name of the game with compatibility issues: For example Rayman Legends or SplinterCell BlackList, but probably more.
• Steam AppID of the game: 242550, 235600

System Information

• GPU: Irrelevant
• Kernel version: 5.15.13-arch1-1
• Proton version: Any

I confirm:

• [x] that I haven't found an existing compatibility report for this game.
• [x] that I have checked whether there are updates for my system available.

Symptoms

Ubisoft games with UPlay integration probably contain some king of trigger, which links game bought on Steam with my Ubisoft account. This mechanic does not work in Proton and I am therefore asked for an activation key (in Ubisoft client, which launches the game).

• Steam support automatically discards my ticket as soon as it discovers I am not running Ubuntu, which is IMHO irrelevant in this case.
• I got my issue resolved for Rayman Legends by Ubisoft support.
  • After a week of chatting with their support and by providing them a proof of purchase and various screenshots, they manually linked the game to my Ubisoft account.
  • After that, the game launches without any problems.

Yesterday I bought SplinterCell franchise and Blacklist has the same integration => same issue. Right now, I am chatting with Ubisoft support again, but it needs better resolution. As soon as they figure out I am using Linux with Proton, they are going to discard it as quickly as Steam support.

Easy solution would be to display activation code in Steam, so it would be possible to manually enter it on failure? There used to be an option like this, and there is for some games (I can view my CD key for Unreal Tournament 3 for example), but not for those two which actually need it.

Steps which occurred to me

• Game is installed through Steam without any problems.
• Game is launched for the first time - Ubisoft client is launched and auto-updated, than it does nothing for several minutes.
• Game is stopped using Steam and launched again for second time - Ubisoft client loads up and asks for credentials.
• After logging in, client asks for activation code
  • Which I don't have, it is somewhere in steam and is not accessible by me.
  • For Rayman Legends, there is a DLC called Game key, but no key is displayable.
  • Ubisoft client wont let me play the game until I activate it.

[Soapsuds]

This appears to work in Proton Experimental. I was having the same problem with Far cry 3 Blood Dragon, but starting the game with experimental binds to my Ubisoft account correctly. Please let me know if this solves your issue as well.

[peldax]

Thank you for your reply. With Proton Experimental I am getting this window after launching the game for second time (and ownwards). First launch did the same as above - Uplay update and than nothing.

[kisak-valve]

Hello @peldax, please copy your system information from Steam (Steam -> Help -> System Information) and put it in a gist, then include a link to the gist in this issue report.

The DXVK error message usually hints that there's an issue with Vulkan failing to initialize on the user's system.

[Blisto91]

I just ran into this after having bought Far Cry 3 - Blood Dragon and launched it on 7.0-3RC. It wants me to manually insert a game key instead of trying to link it to my ubisoft account. I did some testing without linking my account. Still haven't linked it if the issue needs more testing.

It seems like when my compatdata is created with a proton version it won't work with that proton version and will ask for a key. Even on repeated starts afterwards If i then switch proton version for the game (don't delete compatdata) it will work and ask if i want to link the game to my ubisoft account. Tested with 7.0-2, 7.0-3RC & experimental.

So as an example on a fresh install with 7.0-2 (no prior compatdata) it will ask for a key. Then after that i will switch 7.0-2 to 7.0-3RC and then when i launch with that it will correctly ask if i want to link the game. This is also the case the other way around if i start with 7.0-3RC and then afterwards switch to 7.0-2. Experimental too.

[epassaro]

Replying to https://github.com/ValveSoftware/Proton/issues/5507#issuecomment-1146693988

I'm in the same situation with FC3BD and Proton Experimental

[dudeofx]

Steam support sent me here to report that I too have the same issue with FarCry3 Blood Dragon. Every time I try to play the game I get an Activation Key dialog box and I can't play.

One unique thing happening to me that isn't mentioned here is that every time I try to validate the files I get the error 53 files failed to validate. Steam automatically proceeds to download them again but if I were to try to validate them once again I still get the same error. Dunno if its related but I suspect that it is.