Operating systems are now treated as nothing more than a gateway to online services. Many commercial operating systems now require Internet access to obtain a working installation and some require an online account for things like creating a user account or adding applications. And then there are things like forced telemetry and forced system updates.
I personally don't like any of this.
Windows 11 Home Edition. You can't set up without a Microsoft Account, and the disabling Wifi/Ethernet trick has been patched.
Windows 11 Home requires Internet as a Microsoft account is needed during setup. Unless there is a workaround that I haven't read about.
If by "finish" you mean "log into iCloud," then yes, but that goes without saying. You can absolutely have a working device without an internet connection.
Windows and iOS are the exact opposite of that, they constantly push me towards their "ecosystem". Opting out of those is a constant battle.
We're not spoiled, we're just deviants.
A modern operating system tries to guess what the users "want", because that's by no means clear.
Of course, it's a matter of judgement, and judgement comes with its own problems.
And Microsoft makes a bad judgement now.
Would the users try to make themselves not run the browser they want to run? No.
Would the users try to avoid malware? Yes.
Is it malware? Is it needed to run because the game publisher said so?