Bethesda and developer Arkane Studios have confirmed that redfall will have a controversial feature ahead of its launch on Xbox Series X|S and PC in May. As you might know, redfall can be played alone or online with friends. That said, while you can play the game alone, you’ll need a constant online connection to play it. Do you have no internet connection because the power went out or your internet is bad or because you don’t have internet at all? Well, you’re out of luck.

We don’t know why the game requires a permanent online connection. Bethesda and Arkane Studios have not explained why, only confirmed that it is. It’s not the first game to be played as a single player game that requires an online connection, but it’s not common, because why should it be? That said, Bethesda is one of the companies doing this lately. As you may know, it did the same with DOOM Eternal.

Another negative aspect of this is game retention. When the game’s servers inevitably shut down, the game will be unplayable unless Arkane fixes it after launch. Normally when you buy a single player game you expect to be able to play it as long as you have the right hardware but unless this game becomes a huge hit it will be unplayable in a few years and even if it is a huge hit , this will just postpone the inevitable, which is that one day no one will be able to play it.

redfall will be released worldwide on May 1, 2023 via Xbox Series S, Xbox Series X, and PC. When it releases, it will be available for a regular $69.99 standalone purchase or playable through Xbox Game Pass and Xbox Game Pass Ultimate. You can read an official story synopsis for the game below:

The island town of Redfall, Massachusetts is under siege by a legion of vampires who have blocked the sun and cut off its citizens from the outside world. Explore the open world and immerse yourself in a deep story campaign as you unravel the mystery behind the vampires’ appearance Join a handful of survivors against the creatures that threaten to bleed the city dry.”