Can we not play this offline? It won't start without an internet connection

[Orsa Torsa]

So I'll be going out of town and staying at a hotel for over a week. Don't really want public wifi touching my PC cause of the horror stories I read already. So figured I'd use this time to play some good ole MHW offline and catch up for online play later. So in prep for that I did some testing and cut my PC off from the internet and unlike my PS4 copy, To my surprise, I get a nice little message from MHW when I tried to run it in steam's offline mode telling me it won't start because steam is in offline mode and further tells me to restart steam in online mode. Uhhhh what. Am I overlooking something, any help greatly appreciated. Worth noting I've already ran the game several times with steam online so it can't be a check to make sure my game isn't pirated right? Thought maybe some PC vets of the game might know what's going on.

SOLVED: It's DRM requires you connect to the internet every 2 weeks to re issue it's offline key, So this game does by definition require internet to play. Because it's DRM requires internet every so often for you to keep playing offline. Thank you all for your helpful responses. This case is solved. Requesting a refund of the game as I already have it on PS4. I'm sure I'll be back to PC again one day and I'll pick up a bundle of their DLC and base game etc if those ever happen, read comments for situation of why I'm requesting a refund. Thank you all and long live MHW, really solid game, I was only on PC for the double dip. This DRM though is a deal breaker.

UPDATE: Your not even promised 2 weeks either as it bugs out or whatever it does in the behind scenes. Here is 2 screenshots showing where I was just on it and where I'm getting slammed with DRM startup messages. It's still even in my list of recent played.

Image 1: Shows where I was on it, you guys can go back and check my profile and see if it gives you a specific day cause when I expand my games it wont show me the day but at the very least it shows how much I played WITHIN the 2 weeks.

https://imgur.com/a/nU19dj5


Image 2: Good ole DRM message preventing me from playing the game even though I was just online with it a few days ago, heck I was even on these forums posting about performance as I was messing with the game a few days ago where I made a post which that luckily got resolved.

https://imgur.com/a/ds52NIY

SOLUTION: I couldn't find one unless

1. Go online, let it do it's thing and now you can play it anywhere from 3 days to 2 weeks as a rented game offline. It seems fickle and not reliable to actually let you play 2 weeks as I experienced with the few day bit firsthand.

2. Bypass the DRM which I won't post any links. But it would basically make your game no different then a pirated copy. If you want to play offline more then 2 weeks anyways. Personal opinion, I don't see how they would catch anything if you moved the original files back before you went back online. But I don't recommend it since Idk if a ban could occur.

3. Capcom removes the DRM later which I read online they have done before on some games and other devs have also been known to go back later and remove Denovo from what I read online. This would allow users to not have to check in with a rental server to verify you own the game.

Sorry but this is all I could come up with for people who scour google and this discussion. I also stumbled upon where they already cracked this game forever ago, Where there is also mods that can allow you to massively cheat as well and provides every item drop in the game to appear as items in the shops in game and other mods already out etc. So I'm unsure why this DRM is still on the game TBH. Anyways cheers.

[Greslus]

Try starting the game atleast once after you go online on steam (Denuvo DRM asks you to start the game online to ask for a hash code to run the game offline for a maximum of 2 weeks before asking another one)

I assume you've just installed the game? If so, then this would make sense since denuvo hasn't gotten their key yet from the server for you to go offline.

[Orsa Torsa]

Originally posted by Greslus:

Try starting the game atleast once after you go online on steam (Denuvo DRM asks you to start the game online to ask for a hash code to run the game offline for a maximum of 2 weeks before asking another one)

I assume you've just installed the game? If so, then this would make sense since denuvo hasn't gotten their key yet from the server for you to go offline.

I've had it on my pc for at least a few weeks, last time I went online with it was a few days ago....

[Greslus]

Originally posted by Evasive Dice:

Originally posted by Greslus:

Try starting the game atleast once after you go online on steam (Denuvo DRM asks you to start the game online to ask for a hash code to run the game offline for a maximum of 2 weeks before asking another one)

I assume you've just installed the game? If so, then this would make sense since denuvo hasn't gotten their key yet from the server for you to go offline.

I've had it on my pc for at least a few weeks, last time I went online with it was a few days ago....

You need to start the game in online mode for Denuvo to get their hash key. But if the problem persist, I don't know if I can help you anymore than this tip.

PS: Just tested offline mode in my end. Seems like I can start MHW in offline mode just fine.

[Orsa Torsa]

Originally posted by Greslus:

Originally posted by Evasive Dice:

I've had it on my pc for at least a few weeks, last time I went online with it was a few days ago....

You need to start the game in online mode for Denuvo to get their hash key. But if the problem presist, I don't know if I can help you anymore than this tips.

Oh boy, Sounds like Denuvo isn't creating a hash key or something. On a side note whoa really, 2 weeks? they limit our offline? whaaaaa.

[Greslus]

Originally posted by Evasive Dice:

Originally posted by Greslus:

You need to start the game in online mode for Denuvo to get their hash key. But if the problem presist, I don't know if I can help you anymore than this tips.

Oh boy, Sounds like Denuvo isn't creating a hash key or something. On a side note whoa really, 2 weeks? they limit our offline? whaaaaa.

To be fair, I've only gotten trouble with Denuvo once when I was out on holiday without internet for more than a week and I started the game well before a week time so I got less than 1 week to play the game offline. Yeah, it definitely sucks when it happens.

[Orsa Torsa]

I honestly might try and slam steam with a refund request if that bit about the offline limit is 2 weeks for PC users. I deff did not buy a game with a time limit on offline, I already have it on PS4 Pro. I only double dipped for PC because of the framerate/graphics. Not counting the hotel but if in the future I get into a situation where I'll be without internet then I effectively can't play offline mode.....offline. That is deff something I feel like they should have said on the store page. I hope someone else can chime in about that offline mode limit of 2 weeks to verify.

[Xilo The Odd]

Originally posted by Evasive Dice:

Originally posted by Greslus:

You need to start the game in online mode for Denuvo to get their hash key. But if the problem presist, I don't know if I can help you anymore than this tips.

Oh boy, Sounds like Denuvo isn't creating a hash key or something. On a side note whoa really, 2 weeks? they limit our offline? whaaaaa.

i mean thats anti piracy for you, if you had unlimited time for offline mode kinda defeats the purpose since any pirated version would be offline only anyway.

as for public wifi, as long as you got a firewall active you'll be fine, just set your device to not allow outside access from other users if you know how to setup networking and sharing that way. or set whatever network your connecting to as public and windows security stuff will setup the rest for that specific connection.

hotel wifi is typically fine, wifi at a coffee shop or bar is where those issues tend to happen more often. you get the wannabe hacker that distributes his botware into an easy to access PC thats always on the public system and then watches the fireworks. hotel its less likely to happen. as long as you got malwarebytes running and windows firewall enabled your golden.

[Orsa Torsa]

Originally posted by Xilo The Odd:

Originally posted by Evasive Dice:

Oh boy, Sounds like Denuvo isn't creating a hash key or something. On a side note whoa really, 2 weeks? they limit our offline? whaaaaa.

i mean thats anti piracy for you, if you had unlimited time for offline mode kinda defeats the purpose since any pirated version would be offline only anyway.

Makes me wonder if I can use a PC crack to bypass this. then just switch back to the official EXE for online play. hmm.

[Xilo The Odd]

Originally posted by Evasive Dice:

Originally posted by Xilo The Odd:

i mean thats anti piracy for you, if you had unlimited time for offline mode kinda defeats the purpose since any pirated version would be offline only anyway.

Makes me wonder if I can use a PC crack to bypass this. then just switch back to the official EXE for online play. hmm.

thats... the definition of what pirates do. the problem is they dont always work right and can screw up game performance worse than it already is.

[Greslus]

Originally posted by Evasive Dice:

I honestly might try and slam steam with a refund request if that bit about the offline limit is 2 weeks for PC users. I deff did not buy a game with a time limit on offline, I already have it on PS4 Pro. I only double dipped for PC because of the framerate/graphics. Not counting the hotel but if in the future I get into a situation where I'll be without internet then I effectively can't play offline mode.....offline. That is deff something I feel like they should have said on the store page. I hope someone else can chime in about that offline mode limit of 2 weeks to verify.

It's a limit placed by Denuvo to prevent a single account from installing the game on multiple PCs and going offline in order to kinda "circumvent" the whole anti-piracy thing. Different game has different offline times. But in my case, I accidently "tripped" one of the offline cap limit once, and it was 2 weeks. It varies depending on the game/developer wishes.

[Greslus]

Originally posted by Evasive Dice:

I honestly might try and slam steam with a refund request if that bit about the offline limit is 2 weeks for PC users. I deff did not buy a game with a time limit on offline, I already have it on PS4 Pro. I only double dipped for PC because of the framerate/graphics. Not counting the hotel but if in the future I get into a situation where I'll be without internet then I effectively can't play offline mode.....offline. That is deff something I feel like they should have said on the store page. I hope someone else can chime in about that offline mode limit of 2 weeks to verify.

Also might I suggest that rather than refunding the game entirely, you can just connect to a wifi for a short time, go online in steam, start the game once to recieve the key from Denuvo server, and going offline again for another 2 week-ish? I promise you 60fps locked is way better than the 35-45fps the PS4 pro has. I stopped playing my pro once I tasted the sweet fruit of locked 60 and can never turn back.

[Orsa Torsa]

thank you guys for your detailed responses. I don't hate monster hunter world or anything but this time limit is definitely a deal breaker for me as the reason I'll be at the hotel is because I'm moving and waiting for the bank to close on a house I bought. Which I'll be without internet for a WHILE as I move things into the house. I requested a refund and I'll see if I can get it, time played is 12 hours (funnily enough to get it to run better, im right past the basic tutorial cutscenes haha) but it's saying if I do get granted a refund it'll be wallet cash which is perfectly fine. I explained to them I was unaware this game "requires" internet to play on PC as if they want you to constantly check in to re issue the hash key then that is an online requirement to play the game. My game will effectively be unplayable if I have no internet for a lengthy period of time. I still support monster hunter though! I'll happily be just enjoying it on PS4 offline instead. They need to clearly state on their store page that this game at least requires semi internet to re issue a key for offline play. I wonder how many people got surprised by that later tbh now. I had zero idea about this.

[Orsa Torsa]

Originally posted by Greslus:

Originally posted by Evasive Dice:

I honestly might try and slam steam with a refund request if that bit about the offline limit is 2 weeks for PC users. I deff did not buy a game with a time limit on offline, I already have it on PS4 Pro. I only double dipped for PC because of the framerate/graphics. Not counting the hotel but if in the future I get into a situation where I'll be without internet then I effectively can't play offline mode.....offline. That is deff something I feel like they should have said on the store page. I hope someone else can chime in about that offline mode limit of 2 weeks to verify.

Also might I suggest that rather than refunding the game entirely, you can just connect to a wifi for a short time, go online in steam, start the game once to recieve the key from Denuvo server, and going offline again for another 2 week-ish? I promise you 60fps locked is way better than the 35-45fps the PS4 pro has. I stopped playing my pro once I tasted the sweet fruit of locked 60 and can never turn back.

I know its so good on PC, it looks amazing, I just will be without internet for an extended period of time as well as I get settled into my house. It was hotel > brief internet at folks > blam no internet for a WHILE, no ETA on that and now I'm hearing about all this 2 weeks limits stuff and I'm like whatttttttt. Shame because this was the definitive edition IMO

[Greslus]

Originally posted by Evasive Dice:

thank you guys for your detailed responses. I don't hate monster hunter world or anything but this time limit is definitely a deal breaker for me as the reason I'll be at the hotel is because I'm moving and waiting for the bank to close on a house I bought. Which I'll be without internet for a WHILE as I move things into the house. I requested a refund and I'll see if I can get it, time played is 12 hours (funnily enough to get it to run better, im right past the basic tutorial cutscenes haha) but it's saying if I do get granted a refund it'll be wallet cash which is perfectly fine. I explained to them I was unaware this game "requires" internet to play on PC as if they want you to constantly check in to re issue the hash key then that is an online requirement to play the game. My game will effectively be unplayable if I have no internet for a lengthy period of time. I still support monster hunter though! I'll happily be just enjoying it on PS4 offline instead. They need to clearly state on their store page that this game at least requires semi internet to re issue a key for offline play. I wonder how many people got surprised by that later tbh now. I had zero idea about this.

Denuvo DRM is stated in the store page, but it is quite devious of them to not describe what it does to the product to the general consumer (besides the 5 installation limit per day). I feel your pain and if your refund is accepted, I hope you come back to PC. I know the offline timer sucks, but the locked 60fps experience definitely makes up for that.

PS: Denuvo has other quirks that negatively impact the product. Lower performance even in properly implemented in the game code and worse if implemented poorly. 5 installation limit per day (hardware changes counts as 1 installation). A bit longer to launch the game since the code need to do it's work. You can basically read the rest here https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Denuvo

[Orsa Torsa]

Originally posted by Xilo The Odd:

Originally posted by Evasive Dice:

Makes me wonder if I can use a PC crack to bypass this. then just switch back to the official EXE for online play. hmm.

thats... the definition of what pirates do. the problem is they dont always work right and can screw up game performance worse than it already is.

with the key exception they didn't pay for the game. I paid for mine, but its really rubbing me the wrong way I'm even thinking of using DRM bypasses on my 59.99 game lol. I requested a refund from steam, it seems I'll get a wallet cash instead of a debit refund cause of time played trying to get the game to even run properly (which i got it to run good in the end) which I'm totally fine with if they do grant it instead of hard cash back to my debit, I explained to them the situation.