Publisher calls Switch game case ‘incorrect’ after causing panic

After receiving criticism this week for what appeared to be a mandatory install for the physical version of Lego City Undercover on Switch, Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment has told Polygon that the internet requirements listed on the game’s packaging are “incorrect.”

“The information is listed incorrectly on the packaging of Lego City Undercover for Nintendo Switch,” a spokesperson told us. “Players who purchase a physical copy of Lego City Undercover on Nintendo Switch at retail are getting the complete game, and do not need to download additional content to enjoy the full experience.”

Additionally, the spokesperson said that an “internet connection is not required to play the game. The only internet connection suggested is to download the typical content update patch.”

Since the Nintendo Switch is still in its infancy, it’s not clear what this “typical content patch” will look like. Warner Bros. clarified that it won’t be sizable, and that it’s merely a recommendation that owners of the physical copy download it. Otherwise, they can play Lego City Undercover without installing anything onto the console.

As for the incorrect packaging, we’ve asked whether the publisher plans to issue copies of the game with more accurate packaging to retailers prior to April 4, when the game goes on sale. We’ll keep readers posted.

Lego City Undercover, a $59.99 remaster of the original 2013 Wii U game, came under fire when an image of its case showed up on Reddit this week. It suggested that the game would need up to 13 GB of memory space on a Switch console in order to download a mandatory install, unprecedented for Switch games thus far.

It appeared to be another example of a third-party Switch title releasing with some major detriments. Others include Rime and Minecraft: Story Mode, which both will be sold for higher prices on Switch than their PlayStation 4 and Xbox One equivalents for reasons only attributed to manufacturing costs.