Can't play offline without updating

[I_damian]

Piracy protection ftw =D

And I think it is Steam's fault.

Meanwhile the actual pirates play it freely with the DRM removed.

[Gray_Lensman]

You have to already be in "offline mode" in order to play without an update coming after the update release. i.e. Leave your STEAM connection in "offline mode" all the time UNTIL you are ready to accept any updates. Once an update starts, it can no longer be played until the update is complete. This effectively means you can't purchase any other STEAM programs during the offline period also.