A year after having originally announced an offline mode for racing title The Crew 2, Ubisoft has now finally released the update for the game. The update now allows players to play The Crew 2 in either online mode with full multiplayer features, as well as a new offline mode that can be used without any required Internet connection. This new option to choose whether you will play in offline or online mode has been referred to by Ubisoft as Hybrid mode.
“Hybrid Mode is a brand-new chapter for The Crew 2, giving you the flexibility to choose how you want to explore, race, and collect vehicles across the vast open world of the United States, online or offline,” wrote Ubisoft in its announcement. “Whether you’re looking to preserve your progression for the future or simply enjoy the freedom of playing without a connection, Hybrid Mode ensures The Crew 2 remains accessible for years to come.”
The company has also confirmed that, once the update has been installed, players who aren’t already connected to the Internet will boot The Crew 2 up directly into offline mode. Those connected, on the other hand, will be offered a choice of whether to go offline or online. As for players that might want to carry over all of their progression to the offline mode, they can use the “Export to Offline Save” option while in an online session. This creates a new copy of the player’s progression that is stored locally.
It is also worth noting that progression for online and offline mode are completely separate, and any progress that is made while the player is in offline mode will not be carried over into their online save. The same is also true for online mode saves; players can, however, simply pick the “Export to Offline Save” option once more to carry over their progression. Currencies and other rewards are also treated similarly, with offline and online save files having their own instances.
Since The Crew 2 was originally developed as an online game, there are a few features that will not be available in offline mode. These include Crew Credits purchases and the Far & Beyond shop, LIVE Summits, multiplayer modes and content, user-generated content features like the Race Creator or Livery Editor, and some Achievements or Trophies that can only be completed in online mode.
The Crew 2 producer Gregory Corgie had previously spoken about Hybrid mode, describing the ability to choose between online and offline play as being a “hybrid way to play the game”. He had also noted at the time that the development team’s focus was to bring offline mode to The Crew 2 for the time being. The more recent The Crew Motorfest might also some day get such an update, but Corgie said that this was more likely to happen after Ubisoft has wrapped up its post-launch content plans for the racing game.
For more details about The Crew 2 as well as its sequel, here are fifteen ways how the two titles are different.
