I don’t recall if it was mandatory during setup or not. I can control it locally when the internet is down, at least from the wall, I don’t think the app would work. But again, I wanted the remote features so I didn’t even try to set it up without an account.
Home assistant may work as well, but I don’t use it.
I got burnt out after treating WoW like a full time job for multiple years, while having a full time job. Ever since my PC is connected to the TV. Sitting at a desk isn’t relaxing. So PC or console, it’s from the comfort of my recliner with a controller.