Ubisoft drops DRM for RUSE - but hasn't abandoned it

Ubisoft has confirmed to GamesIndustry.biz that it will continue to employ its controversial always-on copy protection system for future games, despite removing it from upcoming strategy title R.U.S.E.

Following last night's announcement that the World War II game would not use the DRM, speculation mounted that Ubisoft had backed down entirely on the anti-piracy tech.

This would appear to not be the case. "We will continue to use the Ubisoft protection system for most PC games, said a spokesperson.

In the event that it cannot perceive an active internet connection, Ubisoft's DRM forcibly pauses and eventually quits the game.

Despite online uproar, a number of server attacks and claims by some players that the system would sometimes kick in even while they were online, Ubisoft has been resolute about its effectiveness as a anti-piracy measure.

However, R.U.S.E. at least will not ship with the DRM, instead using Valve's SteamWorks multiplayer, achievement and cloud-saving framework.

In an official confirmation, the company explained that "When R.U.S.E. is released in September, it will benefit from Valve's Steamworks API to offer the best community experience to players.

"Consequently, a Steam account and Internet connection will be required to activate the game, as per Steam policy. For this reason, R.U.S.E. will not use the Ubisoft protection. Single player can be played offline."