Does Assassin’s Creed Shadows require an online connection to be played?

After years of waiting, fans are finally getting an Assassin’s Creed game set in Feudal Japan, Assassin’s Creed Shadows. However, the game seems to be following a somewhat annoying pattern in games in that it’ll require an online connection in order to be played.

Ubisoft has added a requirement for most of its newly released games to have an online connection, regardless of whether they’re single-player with no multiplayer elements. This requirement has been misunderstood before, though, and in the case of Assassin’s Creed Shadows, I think some fans don’t quite know what this online connection is and why it’s in place. In reality, it’s not quite as bad as you might think.

Does Assassin’s Creed Shadows require an online connection to be played?

Yes, Assassin’s Creed Shadows does require an online connection in order to be played, but it doesn’t require that connection every time you launch the game. Due to concerns raised by the language used for the game on the some storefronts, Ubisoft clarified how “an online connection will be needed to install the game.”

The online connection will be akin to a game file. Once downloaded, it’ll allow the game to be played offline, so there shouldn’t be any further issues with online connectivity. If you want to access Ubisoft Connect and challenges in-game, though, you’ll need to set that connection up so you can use them.

This is similar to Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora, which also required an online connection for the game’s files to be installed correctly. Ubisoft hasn’t confirmed every reason it’s implemented this online connection requirement, but it does solve the issue of those getting the game early when physical editions are sent out ahead of time. This has happened to me before, and I can imagine how infuriating it must be to have a game being played and broadcast early outside of creator content.

Requiring an online connection also ensures that anyone who pre-orders Assassin’s Creed Shadows is able to access their exclusive DLC. There are various versions of the game and bonus quests and items that need to be redeemed online to get them. Without an online connection, all of that content will be lost or unavailable. The connection is intended to be helpful to players instead of hindering them, though it might get in the way for those fans who don’t have a reliable internet connection or a way to get one for the one-off install.