"Assassin's Greed" - Assassin's Creed Shadows rumored online requirement leaves fans disappointed

Assassin's Creed Shadows finally got its official announcement trailer, which, for the most part, is a pretty great showcase of what the game is going to be, even though it's only a cinematic trailer. Alongside the announcement trailer, Ubisoft also opened the floodgates for the game's pre-orders, which came with a host of additional information on the title.

While most of what Ubisoft revealed about Assassin's Creed Shadows sounds quite promising, there is one detail that has fans divided, that being the game's online requirement. On AC Shadows' PlayStation Store page, there's an "Online play required" tag which hints that there's no offline mode for the game.

This admittedly has fans worried and disappointed, with many expressing their frustration over a single-player title requiring a constant internet connection.

X user @The_Stebe states:

"Assassin's Greed"

Fans across the board are disappointed with the online requirement for the latest Assassin's Creed title. X user @mgs2master2 states:

"See this is where the backlash should be. Always online for a single player game?"

Comment left by X user @OrdinaryGamers (Image via X)

Even YouTuber and content creator Mutahar (@OrdinaryGamers) vented their frustration on Ubisoft's decision, stating:

"If this is true whatever excitement I have is dead. An online requirement for a singleplayer game is always b**shit."

A similar sentiment has been expressed by other fans who are infuriated by Ubisoft's decision to lock their single-player Assassin's Creed game behind an arbitrary online requirement.

Comment left by fans on @Wario64's tweet (Image via X)

While fans are saddened and disappointed by the online requirement, there's a factor that might explain why the upcoming Assassin's Creed game needs to be connected to the internet at all times.

NOTE: The following section is subjective and reflects the writer's opinions.

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Assassin's Creed Shadows' online requirement can be attributed to Assassin's Creed Infinity

Assassin's Creed Shadows seemingly requires a constant internet connection on all platforms, which is likely due to the game's integration into Assassin's Creed Infinity. Much like the Call of Duty HQ, Ubisoft aims to streamline every new Assassin's Creed release via a hub of sorts, which they're calling Assassin's Creed Infinity.

The PlayStation Store page for Assassin's Creed Shadows. (Image via Ubisoft || PlayStation)

Assassin's Creed Infinity essentially will feature all the "live-service" elements of the series, including but not limited to, cosmetics, season passes, and even a battle pass. However, there should still be the option to play the single-player campaign offline, from start to finish, without requiring an internet connection.

This is where most fans have an issue. Assassin's Creed Shadows isn't the first game from Ubisoft to have an online-only restriction, despite being a single-player offering. Titles like Avatar Frontiers of Pandora, Skull and Bones, and even Assassin's Creed Valhalla all require an internet connection to play, even though they're primarily single-player experiences.

As such, the backlash from fans is understandable. However, there's a chance that the online requirement part is for AC Infinity, and not Assassin's Creed Shadows entirely. After all, the most recent Assassin's Creed Mirage did not have such restrictions, with the game being completely playable without ever forcing players to connect to the internet.

Some other factors have fans worried about the online requirement and rightfully so. Recently, Ubisoft took The Crew offline and even delisted it from all platforms. And given it was an "always online" game, players who purchased The Crew can no longer play it.

What's even worse is that Ubisoft attempted to actively remove the title from the accounts of players who bought it via Ubisoft Connect (the Ubisoft Store). As such, expecting a similar fate for other Ubisoft titles with online requirements is completely warranted.