Game developer Capcom released a new patch on August 27 for several Resident Evil games for Apple devices, requiring them all to be connected to the internet in order to be played.
The patch doesn’t explain why this requirement has been added. Capcom’s website only states the following: “Due to changes to the startup process, an internet connection is now required when starting this app.“ When you next start up Resident Evil 4, Resident Evil 7: Biohazard, and Resident Evil Village on the best iPhones, iPads, and Macs, you must ensure your device has an active internet connection.
It’s a baffling move, as these single-player games don’t need to be online — they never needed to be when they were all originally released on gaming consoles, starting with Resident Evil 7 in 2016. Indeed, users on social media site X are expressing many frustrations about the patch. One example is AppleGamingCat, making the good point that this will limit users from playing the games in places that don’t allow an internet connection, such as airplanes.
iMore has reached out to Capcom for further comment as to why this requirement has been rolled out.
Expect this to be the norm for future releases from Capcom
Let’s not forget that Capcom is planning on bringing another entry in the Resident Evil series to Apple devices soon. Originally released in 2019, the Resident Evil 2 Remake is coming to compatible iPhones, iPads, and Macs later this year. It’s a fantastic game that honors the original sequel from 1998 in a modern way. But with this remake likely to have this internet requirement in order to play, it could spoil the experience before users reach the title screen.
With Capcom blaming ‘changes to the startup process’ for this patch, perhaps it’s something involving Apple’s upcoming software updates of iOS 18, iPadOS 18, and macOS Sequoia, all rumored to arrive next month. If this is the case, then it’s something that Apple should look into. It’s patches like these that go against recent efforts to bring games like Resident Evil to its products. Hopefully, we can soon see a reversal of this patch to let users play these games wherever they want, without an internet connection.
