Back 4 Blood developer Turtle Rock Studios has confirmed that players will need to have an online connection in order to play the game, even in single-player.
This news comes from the official Back 4 Blood Twitter account, responding to a curious fan who questioned whether the game would require an online connection. According to Turtle Rock Studios, "you will need an internet connection to play at launch" but the developer is apparently looking into ways to support offline play in the future, hinting at the possibility of offline functionality coming in a future patch or update.
It's likely this news will not be welcome for fans excited for Back 4 Blood. Just looking at the replies to Turtle Rock's tweet is evidence enough that the forced online connection is going to cause a number of potential customers to think twice about buying the game. You may think it's a petty grievance that's not worth the hassle of canceling a pre-order over, but recent history shows that fans are more than justified to be at least a little concerned.
A constant online connection means that if Back 4 Blood's servers aren't in top shape, the game will be unplayable even in single-player. Hitman 3 and Outriders shared similar problems this year, both struggling with server issues which frustrated buyers who just wanted to play the game by themselves. Then there's Back 4 Blood's inclusion on Game Pass on the day of release which will likely lead to a massive surge of players, testing servers to the maximum. Only time will tell if Turtle Rock is up to the task.
After a fairly lengthy delay, Back 4 Blood is finally set to launch on October 12 later this year. Inspired by titles such as Left 4 Dead, the game has you and three other players charging through levels whilst fighting off swarms of zombies. Back 4 Blood will be available to purchase on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S.
Source: VGC