Even in single-player, Redfall is an always-online game

Arkane’s co-op, the vampire-hunting shooter, is only a few months away, but there’s some eyebrow-raising news in the land of Redfall. Aside from being a vampire-filled hellscape, Redfall will also require an always-online connection, even when playing the game solo without buddies. This comes courtesy of a Bethesda FAQ page which states that a “persistent connection is required” for co-op and single-player, and that a Bethesda.net account is also required to play the game. Co-op and multiplayer games have recently required a persistent connection, but that’s disappointing in the case of Redfall since the game is playable on its own.

The mandatory internet connection is a bit inconvenient for several reasons. For one thing, it puts an expiration date on games that don’t need it – when servers are offline, so is the game. Competitive multiplayer games depend on large communities of players, but Redfall? Redfall’s single-player story should be accessible, regardless of any other factors. Persistent online requirements have become commonplace, partly due to anti-piracy controls, which is fair. But, I’m sure longtime Arkane fans will be a bit deflated by the news. The studio’s older works, like Dishonored and Prey, can be played entirely without an internet connection, and Deathloop – which had online elements – still worked offline.

When Back 4 Blood launched in 2021, its always-online requirement was the subject of some controversy. Graham posed the question to you, the readers, to ask “How much do you care about always being online?” Responses were mostly negative, highlighting the loss of some games and long queues for games that should be playable on their own. But, let me know if anything changed in the comments. Back 4 Blood has finally received an offline mode, so maybe Redfall will follow.

Redfall is due out May 2 for PC and Xbox consoles, and we just got an in-depth look at its spooky open world during last month’s Xbox Developer Direct. It did indeed feel more like Far Cry than Left 4 Dead, at least to me.