Ubisoft's controversial Uplay online service is causing server issues in the PC version of Far Cry 3, available in the U.K. today.

Uplay is designed to run in the background of Ubisoft titles; However, because servers are down the game disconnects players from the single-player experience. According to a thread on Reddit, it is possible to fix this issue by setting Uplay offline.

Ubisoft has offered up an official apology on its Twitter account, stating: "We're very sorry for the server issues affecting Far Cry 3 on PC and are working as fast as possible to restore the service."

Uplay was first launched in 2009 with the release of Assassin's Creed 2. The service, which is designed as a mechanism to protect the publisher's titles from being pirated, allows users to connect with one another and earn awards based on achievements. Earlier in the year a Google security engineer discovered a potential rootkit in the software, which was believed to install a backdoor that allowed any website to access the user's computer. Ubisoft later released a patch which fixed the browser plug-in's vulnerability.

Far Cry 3 launches on Dec 4. in North America for PC, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.

Update: Ubisoft's official Twitter account just announced that the game's servers are back up and running.

Dear #FarCry3PC players, thank you for your patience, our servers are back up & running. Have fun playing!

— Ubisoft (@Ubisoft) November 30, 2012