SimCity Gets an Offline Mode in Next Update

SimCity will soon offer an offline mode, a feature developer EA Maxis announced in a recent post on the game’s official website. The mode will be included as a free download with Update 10, and will finally allow players to engage in a single player, offline experience.

According to General Manager of the Maxis Emeryville studio Patrick Buechner, all previously downloaded content will also remain available to players, as well as saved progress.

“When we launch it, all of your previously downloaded content will be available to you anytime, anywhere, without the need for an internet connection,” Buechner states.

“In Update 10, you can still play solo in Regions on your own, or in Multiplayer with people from around the world,” writes Buechner. “What’s new is the Single Player Mode, which allows you to play the game Offline by yourself. And because your saved games in this mode are stored locally, you can save and load to your heart’s content.”

The multiplayer aspects of SimCity will still remain for those interested in the online experience, as “all of the benefits of being connected will remain including access to Multiplayer, the Global Market and Leaderboards.” In addition, “all of your pre-existing saved cities and regions will still be accessible should you log-in to the Online game.”

The addition comes 10 months after the admittedly rocky launch and reception for the game, with many lamenting that SimCity has been online only, as well as being plagued by server issues. The inclusion of an offline, single player mode will likely attract those put off from the always-on aspect that deterred many from trying the game in the first place, or pushed others to simply stop playing altogether.

EA is also encouraging modding of SimCity, which the developer claims is one of the primary reasons for adding an offline mode. Modders “can now make modifications to the game and its components without compromising the integrity of the Online game” the post states.

No release date for Update date was provided, but the developer states it is in the “late phases of wrapping up its development” and that for now it’s just “testing, testing, and more testing.”