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Ubisoft games purchased on Steam still require Ubisoft Connect. When you launch a Ubisoft title through Steam, Steam opens Ubisoft Connect, which then launches the game. You’re running two platforms regardless of where you bought the game.

This is the standard setup for most Ubisoft titles and has been since Uplay (now Ubisoft Connect) became mandatory for their releases. There is no official way to remove this requirement for all games — but Ubisoft Connect does have a functional offline mode that reduces its active role after initial setup.

How Ubisoft Connect Offline Mode Works

Offline mode lets you play Ubisoft games without an active internet connection, with two conditions:

  1. You must have launched Ubisoft Connect in online mode at least once to activate your games and download updates.
  2. The game must have been run online at least once.

After that, you can switch Ubisoft Connect to offline mode for subsequent sessions. Some online features — multiplayer, cloud saves syncing, some DRM checks — won’t work in offline mode, but single-player gameplay functions for most titles.

How to Enable Offline Mode

  1. Open Ubisoft Connect and sign in while online.
  2. Launch the game you want to play offline at least once to complete activation.
  3. Close the game and return to Ubisoft Connect.
  4. In Ubisoft Connect, click the hamburger menu (top left) → Go Offline.
  5. Launch the game from Ubisoft Connect in offline mode.

You don’t need to log out of Ubisoft Connect for this to work. Some users have reported that setting Steam to offline mode simultaneously is enough for certain titles — the game runs without prompting for an active Ubisoft Connect connection.

What Doesn’t Work Offline

  • Multiplayer and co-op features
  • Cloud save syncing
  • Some titles with continuous server validation (notably some older Assassin’s Creed entries) may still require online checks even in offline mode

Check the specific game’s Ubisoft support page if offline functionality is important for your use case.

Persistent Offline Sessions

Once correctly set up, offline mode persists across play sessions. You don’t need to repeat the process every time. Occasional online check-ins may be triggered by updates or DLC installs, but standard gameplay sessions remain offline once the initial activation is done.

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