Call of Duty: Modern Warfare has just been released and we can confirm that the game is always-online on the PC. Currently there is no way to play this game in offline mode. Furthermore, even its single-player campaign mode requires a constant internet connection.

My guess is that Activision forced this always-online DRM so it can protect its title. On one hand, this is a clever way to protect the game from pirates. And this has paid off as the game has not been cracked by any group. On the other hand, though, this is a really anti-consumer behaviour.

Activision has not commented on whether it plans to add an offline mode to the game. As such, we’ve decided to publish this article in order to inform all of you about it.

Speaking of always-online, the game’s servers were a mess today. Infinity Ward and Activision are working into improving the overall experience. From what we’ve seen, most of the major connection issues are resolved (at least for now).

Our PC Performance Analysis for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare will go live – most likely – this Sunday, so stay tuned for more!