According to the developers for Ubisoft's Steep, the open world extreme sport video game requires an Internet connection for play, and supports up to 4 players in co-op.

Prior to this year's E3 extravaganza, game publisher and developer Ubisoft declared that it would be unveiling a new franchise ahead of the event, which has now resulted in the company's showing of the  Alpine-inspired winter sports title known as Steep. As a matter of fact, the fresh IP received prime billing during Ubisoft's E3 press conference, as it was featured toward the end of the company's showcase to give fans a look at the open world game's competitive challenges and emphasis on online multiplayer.

Speaking of Steep's online multiplayer, when we asked Ubisoft Annecy developers about the feature, it was eventually confirmed that the game requires an Internet connection to play. While some might consider Ubisoft's "always online" ethos being applied to Steep as a discouraging sign for the game's future, it really shouldn't come as much of a surprise considering the fact that the company has begun requiring an Internet connection for many of its recently-released games, such as Tom Clancy's The Division, for which Ubisoft Annecy recently completed some work.

On the other hand, those who don't mind that Steep requires an Internet connection to play will more than likely latch on to the better part of Ubisoft's declaration that the winter sports title supports up to 4 separate players for co-op. Although the company has yet to divulge what kind of game modes fans will be able to experience with cooperative play, it's good to know that the feature is there.

As seen in Steep's reveal trailer, players will be able to explore an open world environment based in both the Alps and Alaska, where the map can be navigated by way of snowboard, skis, wing-suit, or even by paraglider. Not to mention, fans can switch between these transportation modes on the fly in order to be better prepared for the reportedly hundreds of areas designed to pull off stunts. Taking all of this into consideration, with Steep allowing players to record their stunts, having the 4 player co-op feature in effect ought to result in plenty of exciting replays with fans being able to coordinate stunts with their friends.

In any event, since Steep was just announced yesterday, not much else is known about the title, with more questions available at the moment than answers. Be that as it may, as the year progresses, we are sure to receive more concrete details regarding the winter sports game's playable components. That said, it will definitely be interesting to see if Steep goes on to success in its holiday release window, and breaks Ubisoft's first week sales record for a new IP, which is currently held by The Division.

What do you think about Steep requiring an Internet connection? Does the prospect of 4-person co-op intrigue you? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

Steep is slated to arrive this December for PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One.