Star Wars Outlaws Physical Release Will Require Download to Install

gamerant.com:

The cover art for Massive Entertainment's Star Wars Outlaws confirmed players with a physical disk will still need an internet connection to play the game. Star Wars Outlaws recently unveiled a new story trailer, which featured a sneak peek into Ubisoft's upcoming open-world adventure in a galaxy far, far away. However, some fans were displeased when images of the game's PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X box art confirmed its installation isn't as simple as slotting in a disk.

For years now, large parts of the gaming community have been rallying against the trend of an always-online video game. There are varying reasons for players' distrust over titles employing systems that necessitate a stable internet connection. Some have pointed out how online functionalities do not last forever. While the life of a title can last for years depending on how well it can retain a decent-sized player base, servers will inevitably shut down This sometimes leaves these always online games completely unplayable, which was notably what happened when Ubisoft's The Crew shut down its servers. But others also questioned the need for online functionality in what is intended to be a single-player video game, and have championed the continued sale of complete physical copies in an increasingly digitized medium.

These players were likely disappointed when the cover for Star Wars Outlaws revealed physical copies of Massive Entertainment's upcoming title won't be playable from the get-go. A post from X user Wario64 (@Wario64) showed the box art as it appeared in Best Buy's online shop, which included a disclaimer at the bottom left stating players needed an internet connection to install the game. This also wasn't the first time an additional download was listed as a requirement for copies of a Ubisoft-published single-player title, with physical units for Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora requiring an internet connection for installation as well.

While it remains unclear how much of the game needs