Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time requires an always-online connection on PC

Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time has launched on PC, but disappointed fans have found the Battle.net launcher requires an always-online connection.

After launching on PS5, Xbox Series X/S and Nintendo Switch a couple of weeks ago, Crash Bandicoot 4 finally launched on PC this week – but there's a catch.

The PC version of the title launched exclusively on Battle.net on March 26, and players eager to try the game on the platform have learned it needs to be permanently connected to the internet (standard practice for anything that launches through Battle.net).

Unlike other Battle.net games, though, Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time is local: you can either play in single-player or local multiplayer – there are no online play options.

Frustratingly, players have been complaining that login errors are forcing the game to close, causing players to lose progress (thanks, Eurogamer).

Worse yet, there's no promise that players that purchase the game will be able to play it in perpetuity, with a statement over on the product page noting: "Activision makes no guarantee regarding the availability of online features and may modify or discontinue those at its discretion without notice."

A cursory look at gaming forums, social media, or dedicated subreddits shows you that there's widespread disappointment and anger directed at Activision. A particularly damning Resetera thread highlights that – two days in – the game's DRM has already been cracked, and now 'pirates get to have a much better experience than customers'.

Crash 4 debuted in October of last year for PS4 and Xbox One after years of anticipation, but in our Crash Bandicoot 4 review, we said that the game didn’t “quite live up to its crate expectations.”