Following some uncertainty after Gran Turismo 7’s release date reveal last week and a subsequent blog post that stated one of the new campaign modes will require an online connection, Polyphony Digital has confirmed that an internet connection is necessary to play the game’s main campaign.
The addition of a fully fleshed out campaign is one of the key new features in Gran Turismo 7, following its absence at the heart of the online-focussed Gran Turismo Sport. Gran Turismo 7’s campaign leans heavily on the series’ past, allowing full modding and customisation of cars, as well as placing a fresh emphasis on the car collecting side with new and used dealerships and an all-new GT Cafe that lends some structure to the hoarding of cars.
A blog post published in the immediate aftermath of the release date reveal stated that an online connection is required for GT Cafe, something series creator Kazunori Yamauchi was able to expand upon in a recent interview with Eurogamer.
“The requirement for the online connection isn’t specific to the Cafe per se,” Yamauchi said. “It’s just to prevent cheating overall from people trying to modify the save data, so that’s the reason for the online connection.”
“The online connection is required for the campaign mode,” Yamauchi continued, before suggesting it will work along similar lines to Gran Turismo Sport in this regard. “The only part of the game that doesn’t require an online connection is the arcade mode, because that has no effect on the save data, so that’s possible. But anything that has to do with the save data requires a connection. For example things like the livery data as well – that’s something that is downloaded from the online server.”