Windows 11 Pro to soon require a Microsoft Account during setup

Microsoft is updating Windows 11’s Pro variant and the operating system will soon require an internet connection and a Microsoft account during the initial setup. This bit was mandatory with Windows 11 Home last year and now the change has come to Windows 11 Pro.
With Windows 11 Pro, users were first able to get past the Microsoft Account restriction using a local account instead, and setting up the PC without an internet connection. However, this will soon be not possible.
Microsoft has been pushing users to use a Microsoft Account with their operating systems since Windows 10, along with other Microsoft services like Bing and the Edge browser. The new change is expected to come as bad news to many who create a local account to avoid Microsoft’s data tracking.

“Similar to Windows 11 Home edition, Windows 11 Pro edition now requires internet connectivity during the initial device setup (OOBE) only,” the Windows Insider blog post says. “If you choose to setup [a] device for personal use, MSA will be required for setup as well,” the post adds.
The change is currently being tested in Windows 11 builds and will likely roll out to Windows 11 Pro in the months to come. As of now, you can still avoid using a Microsoft Account using a local account instead.

What you can do once the change is implemented?
Once the change is implemented, users will not be able to create a local account during installation. They can however, make a dummy Microsoft account to move ahead with the installation of the operating system, which the way will still require an internet connection.
Once the installation is complete, users can then create a local account and use it instead.