GAMERS are furious over a “terrible” change to three popular iPhone games that will stop them from playing.
A new update to three major titles for iPhone, iPad, and Mac means they’ll only work with internet connections.
The change affects Resident Evil 4, Resident Evil 7, and Resident Evil Village.
These high-quality titles will no longer work offline – and will require a Wi-Fi or mobile data connection.
It means you won’t be able to play on an airplane without Wi-Fi, for example.
In a notice posted to its official website, game-maker Capcom wrote: “Due to changes to the startup process, an internet connection is now required when starting this app.”
The same message was pasted to the updates for all three of the Capcom titles.
And it’ll affect the iPhone, iPad, and Mac versions of the games.
Unsurprisingly, fans have reacted very poorly to the news.
In a Reddit thread about the update, one irate gamer wrote: “Capcom must not know that people play games on their phones specifically when they don’t have an internet connection sometimes, since other things on it won’t work.”
Another said: “I can no longer find a single game on the App Store that doesn’t require an online connection. It’s absolutely BS.”
And one noted: “This was literally my long haul flight game. I pick up where I left off on each long haul flight. Guess that’s the end of that.”
Another added: “Time to leave some 1-star reviews in the App Store for these sort of malpractices. I’ve done my part, s***w them!”
And one gamer wrote: “Wow that’s terrible news.”
It’s especially frustrating for gamers who have already spent money in the titles.
Resident Evil 4 launched on the App Store for $59.99, with extra DLC available for $19.99.
Here's the full list of Resident Evil releases...
And Resident Evil Village debuted on the App Store for $39.99.
Resident Evil 7 was listed for $19.99, bringing the total cost of all three games to around $120.
In the UK, the games launched for £49.99, £34.99, and £19.99 respectively, totalling around £105.
If you’d bought them for offline play, you’d now be left disappointed.
This was literally my long haul flight game. I pick up where I left off on each long haul flight. Guess that’s the end of that.
Reddit user
The launch of Resident Evil on iOS was a major breakthrough for Apple.
It was highlighted as part of the September 2023 launch of Apple’s iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max.
Apple is increasingly helping to bring console-quality “AAA” games to mobile devices, including the 2024 launch of Ubisoft’s Assassin’s Creed Mirage on iPhone and iPad.
And by contrast, Assassin’s Creed Mirage remains available for offline gameplay, which makes it a great choice for when you don’t have an internet connection.