The publisher of Assassin’s Creed, Ubisoft, is facing a privacy complaint in Austria over claims it illegally collected users’ personal data through games marketed as offline.

Privacy group by the name None of Your Business (NOYB) filed the case on Thursday with Austria’s Data Protection Authority (DSB), seeking a fine of up to 92 million euros (around Sh13.1 billion) for alleged breaches of the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

NOYB accused Ubisoft of forcing players to connect to the internet unnecessarily to track their behaviour for commercial gain.

Highlighting this concern, Lisa Steinfeld, a data protection lawyer at NOYB, remarked, "Video games are expensive -- but that doesn't stop companies like Ubisoft from forcing their customers to play offline games online unnecessarily, just so they can make more money by tracking their behaviour."

"Ubisoft's actions are clearly unlawful and must be stopped," she added.

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The complaint was filed on behalf of a Far Cry Primal player who discovered that the game connected to external servers, including Amazon and Google, 150 times within 10 minutes.

NOYB noted that the transmissions were encrypted, preventing users from knowing what data was being shared.

Ubisoft defended itself by insisting that internet access is only required when a game is first launched.

In its response to AFP, the company stated, "Our solo games can then be played offline." It further explained that the collected data "is used to improve game performance."

The complaint arrives as Ubisoft undergoes major restructuring efforts to address ongoing financial difficulties, and follows similar controversy last year when Sony abandoned plans to force PC players of Helldivers 2 to link accounts to its PlayStation Network after public backlash.