As one could argue, Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Breakpoint's announcement has been received favorably by many. Expanding on on Ghost Recon Wildland's open-world action by adding new stealth and survival mechanics is bound to be seen as a positive among the franchise's tactics-focused fans. However, there's one new detail about Ghost Recon Breakpoint that's been changed since Wildlands that could disappoint some. According to Ubisoft, Ghost Recon Breakpoint will require a persistent Internet connection even while playing single-player.

Ghost Recon Wildlands, Breakpoint's predecessor in the franchise, was lauded for its decision to break from modern norms and allow solo players to experience the game entirely offline. Ghost Recon Wildlands still featured drop-in/drop-out co-op multiplayer when online, but it did have its limitations. With Ghost Recon Breakpoint, Ubisoft appears to have decided those limitations were too restricting and that the precedent set by The Division and Rainbow Six Siege was enough to justify making the game always online.

To be fair, Ubisoft has already provided at least one reason why Ghost Recon Breakpoint will require a persistent Internet connection. Breakpoint will utilize a one-character system for both PvE and PvP. Maintaining this one-character system, which is tied to a character's progression, understandably requires the player to be online.

Of course, there could also be one unsaid reason for Ubisoft's decision to require Breakpoint players to have a persistent Internet connection. Always-online connections serve as their own form of copyright protection, and it also provides a foundational platform to offer microtransactions or advertise other content to players throughout a given game.

Ubisoft has shown a marked shift towards online-only gaming across its properties, fully embracing the games-as-a-service paradigm and its prodigious digital profits alongside it. That Ghost Recon Wildlands existed with an offline mode at all is more of a surprise.

Ghost Recon Breakpoint players will still be able to play the entirety of the game solo, based off of early details from Ubisoft. However, there's likely going to be a subset of players who only play offline that are going to be left behind by Ubisoft.'s always-online decision for Breakpoint. Despite this, Ubisoft is clearly more than willing to make that sacrifice.

Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Breakpoint releases October 4, 2019 on PC, PS4, and Xbox One.