Ubisoft relaxes DRM on select titles

Last year, Ubisoft rolled out a new digital rights management system for its PC games that required the titles to be constantly connected to the publisher's online servers in order to run even the single-player mode. However, the DRM proved troublesome from the start, with Assassin's Creed II and The Settlers VII: Paths to a Kingdom both rendered unplayable for portions of time near launch thanks to server issues.

As spotted by a Reddit user, Ubisoft recently relaxed that DRM for a handful of titles, including Splinter Cell: Conviction and Assassin's Creed II. The publisher confirmed the news for GameSpot, saying, "The permanent online connection is no longer needed for a few of Ubisoft's titles. It is a case-by-case decision, and from the beginning, we have said that we might choose to patch out games at some point."

The games still need to connect with Ubisoft's servers in order to launch, but losing connection midgame will no longer force the player to a pause screen. Not all of the publisher's catalog has had the always-connected requirement lifted. For example, The Settlers VII still insists on players being connected to the Internet throughout the entire play session.