Super Mario Run Won’t Be Playable Offline

Super Mario Run, a mobile game many would love to play while in the subway, will require an always-on internet connection. Bummer.

Shigeru Miyamoto, Mario creator and the producer of Super Mario Run, told Mashable that the endless runner mobile game will require an internet connection to play on all of its modes. He said that, “this is just … a requirement that’s been built into the game to support security.” When asked to clarify if this was a safeguard against the risk of piracy, Miyamoto said yes.

Miyamoto also said that they, “had thought at one point that it would be nice to have the World Tour [story] mode available standalone, to be able to play without that connection,” but because the other modes require networks saves it ended up not being possible.

“We’re launching in 150 countries and each of those countries has different network environments and things like that,” he said. “So it was important for us to be able to have it secure for all users.”

While that’s all understandable, it kind of sucks to know you won’t be able to play Super Mario Run on a long flight or a stuck train. Guess you’ll have to find another distraction.

Super Mario Run will be released on December 15th for $9.99 on iOS.