Update: "It seems the game goes into a huge Authentication loop with the 2K Servers which can take several minutes. This shows the LeBron flash screen while it's happening. The game will start up OFFLINE after it has processed it's Auth Loop and timed out.
"Game modes will be limited, but you CAN play offline."
NBA 2K14 was originally released without always-online DRM and could be played offline. However, the latest update for the game appears to add a requirement that you are always connected to the internet to play on both the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 versions of the game.
As of today, if you're not connected to the internet, the game will not load up—at least according to reports. Furthermore, if you're playing the game and your connection drops, the game will close out.
According to NeoGAF, which made the find, the online requirement appears to be linked in with 2K's "Virtual Currency" system, which is tied into all aspects of the game and verified through the game's official servers. To ensure that people don't cheat, an internet connection is required to play the game.
As online DRM is not exactly popular with the gaming crowd, the new implementation has angered many of the game's fans over on NeoGAF and elsewhere.
At this point in time, we are unable to verify whether this is truly the case and will update the post as more information becomes available.
Read our review of NBA 2K14 here.
