Would you mind expanding on this topic if you don't mind? Sorry if this is annoying you.

Presumably Windows Firewall only? I'm assuming third party firewalls are not affected.

The link I've provided should expand enough :-D

Oh, sorry, did not see the link in "but". So correct me if I am wrong, but you are saying that you needed internet to access some features? I am puzzled, is it for every single game, or for some???????????????

To take into consideration: newer games will likely be patched more often, while older games become more stable as time passes, generally. Although sometimes nice surprises happen.

Maybe I was more surprised that the game installer would modify system settings like the firewall. What if I am not using the Windows firewall but some third-party firewall (or no software firewall at all), what do those installers do then?

No no no. NVIDIA drivers needed an Internet connection to update the profiles for DLSS (which is a godsend if you want to use ray tracing, even on a GeForce RTX 3080, and experience high frame rates at the same time). The game was fine without.

It's just like that: off-line installers work off-line, but having a completely off-line gaming experience has become almost impossible these days...

Oh, got it. Thanks for clearing it up for me! I appreciate your time for explaining it to me! Can I PM you?

I musta been getting a bit too old, when people didn't assume installers was just a stub dwonloader. I even remember where the save icon comes from...

Feeling sad now.

That's only possible when you set your firewall - whatever it is - to handle requests automatically. When the Windows firewall is deactivated nothing should happen and no rules will be written allowing or denying access to the web.

Deactiving it via System->Update and Security->Windows Security->Firewall and Network Protection even though it says Defender Firewall is deactivated because you are using another product - it isn't necessarily true. Just make sure it actually is -> Win key + R -> firewall.cpl -> Enter -> Windows Defender Firewall activate or deactivate ;-)

Also, since most security suites allows you to define what applications are allowed to do on your system, there should be nothing an installer should be allowed to do except what you explicitly allow it to. While it might be tedious to always confirm what some software is allowed or denied to do, what level of access to your system you grant it, in the end your system is more secure and you in control over processes running on it and be on the safe side. Many security suites offer a training which should adapt to your settings so at some point you can have it take over and monitor what it does only occasionally like Comodo Suite I use for Windows.

What about a Retail game with a actual DVD inside and not a Steam key :D

"What is a DVD?" :D

That's one of the questions that you can find in The Big Trolling Manual. ;-)

*comes with free fish. Time limited offer.