Capcom has updated the mobile ports of several Resident Evil games to require an internet connection when opening the apps: As Eurogamer points out, the patch notes for the latest Resident Evil 7, Resident Evil 4, and Resident Evil Village updates state, “Due to changes to the launch process, this app now requires an internet connection when launching.”
It’s unclear why Capcom added this requirement, but it sucks. Anyone on a plane without Wi-Fi or wanting to sneak in a game while camping in a remote area will no longer be able to play these games on their phone or tablet. It undermines the idea that mobile games can be played anywhere, but if the game you want to play is already on your device and you have auto-updates turned off, you can get around this issue.
Several commenters on the Reddit thread that pointed out the change said they would ask for refunds. Capcom may not need to worry too much about having to refund large numbers of players, however. The mobile versions of the three games have reportedly not been very successful. For example, data shows that the iOS version of Resident Evil 7 was purchased by just 2,000 people in the first two weeks after launch.
