‘Forza Motorsport 5’ Requires One-Time Internet Connection For Mandatory Day-One Patch

Before you fire up Forza Motorsport 5 when it’s released alongside the launch of Microsoft’s next-gen Xbox One console, you’ll need to make sure your internet connection is ready to go first; Turn 10 confirmed to IGN that there will be a mandatory day-one patch for the game.

On the bright side, at least it won’t require a constant internet connection.

The reason the day-one patch is mandatory, Turn 10 studio boss Dan Greenawalt told the site, is because it adds in certain core features such as the cloud-based “Drivatar” system, which allows you to race against AI opponents based on the driving habits, and the favorite vehicles of your friends.

Although Drivatar will require an internet connection to update the driver data for yourself and your friends, it does not require that you be online to make use of the system.

“So when you first boot up the game, we’re going to ask you to log in,” Greenawalt said. “And when you log in you’re going to get the Drivatars and you’re also going to get a whole bunch of content: tracks and cars. Our production schedule is such that we are putting them in as late as possible and that means making them free as downloadable content on Day One. [But] that is required content to play the game.”

“We basically have designed the game to work with all that content no matter how late [it’s] coming in, in order to make the biggest game possible.”

Although an internet connection isn’t required to play Forza Motorsport 5, as previously mentioned, Greenawalt encouraged gamers to stay connected because the developer believes the online systems make the game “far better.”

“All of the cloud and online features make the game far, far better,” Greenawalt claimed. “In fact I’d even say revolutionary. The things we’re doing with opponents and Drivatar are not something that anyone can envision unless you’ve played it. But we’re trying to get as much of that into the unconnected, offline mode as well.”

You can check out the Forza Motorsport 5 trailer from E3 2013 below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iYTx9DFWMSI