Crash Bandicoot 4 Requires An Always-Online Connection On PC

Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time launched on PC last week, but as players found out when accessing the game through the Battle.net launcher, an always-online connection is required.

Ordinarily, this wouldn't be too much of an issue as almost every game available on Battle.net requires being permanently tethered to the internet, but frequent login errors that forces the game to close during the middle of a challenging level have left players feeling frustrated.

Crash Bandicoot 4 is an entirely local game as well, with its only online component being multiplayer leaderboards. As Eurogamer originally reported as well, the game might not even remain playable on PC should Activision decide to shut down its servers.

As Activision stated on the game's Battle.net product page: "Activision makes no guarantee regarding the availability of online features and may modify or discontinue those at its discretion without notice."

The news has naturally not been well-received by fans, with one ResetEra thread even pointing out that with Crash Bandicoot 4's anti-piracy DRM and online countermeasures having been cracked, "pirates get to have a much better experience than customers."

On mobile platforms Crash Bandicoot: On the Run has seen a more positive launch so far. So far the game has managed more than 8.1 million downloads through both iOS and Android storefronts since its launch last week. If you're still looking to try out Crash Bandicoot 4 and you have the option to purchase it on a console instead of PC, now's a good time to experience the game with next-gen features.

The PS5 and Series X|S versions were recently upgraded with 4K and 60fps and faster load times, and If you already own it on PS4 or Xbox One, the upgrade is free within the same console family. Save data will transfer over as well.

"Even more so than playing the N.Sane Trilogy, which literally remade the original Crash games from my youth, playing Crash 4 felt like getting back in touch with the series," Mike Epstein wrote in GameSpot's Crash Bandicoot 4 review. "It's an injection of new ideas into now-classic gameplay that surprises and delights, even as it feels like a homecoming. Truly, games like this are why we come running back to long-dormant franchises with open arms."