The physical version of Avatar requires an online security check

Physical copy of Avatar: The Frontiers of Pandora Requires an online connection to play. It is not necessary to download additional data during your adventure on Pandora, but for security reasons. For example, the game runs an online security check that prevents you from playing it before it’s released.

Reddit user Interesting-Squash81 He received his physical copy of Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora a few days ago. Like any avid gamer, try installing and running the game. Installation went smoothly, but playing proved impossible.

When he went to start the game, he was shown the game’s logo with a release date of “December 7, 2023” below it. Interesting-Squash81 then tried to set the time and date on his console, before starting the game offline. Again without results.

It appears that Ubisoft has added online authentication to its physical games, where the game will check whether a specific date has passed or not. The box graphic indicates that an Internet connection is required for installation, although we never expected it to be used that way.

Well, digital games have been working this way for years. Although you can pre-load, you can’t play the games until release day. This is not a bad thing, because it prevents spoilers from finding their way onto the Internet prematurely.

On the other hand, it is of course less important for long-term gaming preservation. If the Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora servers are offline, you will no longer be able to install games via disc alone. Unless Ubisoft releases a post-release patch that bypasses online authentication.