Hubbry Logo
DenuvoDenuvoMain
Open search
Denuvo
Community hub
Denuvo
logo
8 pages, 0 posts
0 subscribers
Be the first to start a discussion here.
Be the first to start a discussion here.
Denuvo
Denuvo
Denuvo
View on Wikipedia
from Wikipedia

Denuvo Software Solutions GmbH is an Austrian company that develops anti-tamper and digital rights management (DRM) software. The company was formed from a management buyout of DigitalWorks, the developer of SecuROM, and began developing the software in 2014. It was introduced with FIFA 15 in September. Products include the anti-tamper software Denuvo Anti-Tamper, the anti-cheat system Denuvo Anti-Cheat and Nintendo Switch Emulator Protection, which attempts to prevent Nintendo Switch games from being emulated. The company was acquired by Irdeto in January 2018.

Key Information

History

[edit]

Denuvo is developed by Denuvo Software Solutions GmbH, a software company based in Salzburg, Austria.[1] The company was formed through a management buyout of DigitalWorks, the arm of the Sony Digital Audio Disc Corporation that developed the SecuROM DRM technology.[2] In January 2018, the company and its 45 employees were acquired by the software company Irdeto.[3][4] Development of the Denuvo software started in 2014.[1] FIFA 15, released in September 2014, was the first game to use Denuvo.[5]

3DM, a Chinese warez group, first claimed to have breached Denuvo's technology in a blog post published on 1 December 2014, wherein they announced that they would release cracked versions of Denuvo-protected games FIFA 15, Dragon Age: Inquisition and Lords of the Fallen.[6] Following onto this, 3DM released the version of Dragon Age: Inquisition about two weeks after that game had shipped.[6] The overall cracking progress took about a month, an unusually long time in the game cracking scene.[2][7] When asked about this development, Denuvo Software Solutions acknowledged that "every protected game eventually gets cracked".[2] However, technology website Ars Technica noted that most sales for major games happen within 30 days of release, and so publishers might consider Denuvo a success if it meant a game took significantly longer to be cracked.[8] In January 2016, 3DM's founder, Bird Sister, revealed that they were to give up on trying to break the Denuvo implementation for Just Cause 3, and warned that, due to the ongoing trend for the implementation, there would be "no free games to play in the world" in the near future.[9] Subsequently, 3DM opted to not crack any games for one year to examine whether such a move would have any influence on game sales.[10] Denuvo's marketing director, Thomas Goebl, claimed that some console-exclusive games get PC releases due to this technology.[11]

By October 2017, crackers were able to bypass Denuvo's protection within hours of a game's release, with notable examples being South Park: The Fractured but Whole, Middle-earth: Shadow of War, Total War: Warhammer II and FIFA 18, all being cracked on their release dates.[12] In another notable case, Assassin's Creed Origins, which wrapped Denuvo within security tool VMProtect as well as Ubisoft's proprietary DRM used for their Uplay distribution software, had its security features bypassed by Italian collective CPY in February 2018, three months after the game's release.[13] In December 2018, Hitman 2's protection was bypassed three days before its official release date, due to exclusive pre-order access, drawing comparisons to Final Fantasy XV, which had its protection removed four days before release.[14]

By 2019, games like Devil May Cry 5, Metro Exodus, Resident Evil 2, Far Cry New Dawn, Football Manager 2019, and Soul Calibur 6 were cracked within their week of release.[14][15] In the case of Rage 2, which was released on Steam as well as Bethesda Softworks' own Bethesda Launcher, the Steam version was protected by Denuvo, whereas the Bethesda Launcher version was not, leading to the game being cracked immediately, and Denuvo being removed from the Steam release two days later.[16][17]

An anti-cheat sister product, Denuvo Anti-Cheat, was announced in March 2019.[18] It was first used by Doom Eternal following an update in May 2020, although this change was reverted within a week after negative player feedback.[19][20] In August 2022, Irdeto announced Nintendo Switch Emulator Protection, a DRM system for Nintendo Switch games that aims to prevent them from being emulated with programmes like Yuzu. Nintendo Switch owners widely criticised the announcement on social media, expressing concerns that it would decrease game performance.[21][22] In response, Denuvo stated that the system would cause no performance impact on genuine hardware.[23][24] The system was released in August 2023.[25]

Technology

[edit]

Games protected by Denuvo require an online activation.[26] According to Empress, a notable Denuvo cracker, the software assigns a unique authentication token to each copy of a game, depending on factors like the user's hardware. The DRM is integrated with the game's code, which makes it especially hard to circumvent.[27]

Criticism

[edit]

Denuvo has been criticised for increasing CPU utilisation resulting in protected software having degraded performance relative to native code. Denuvo Software Solutions has denied this claim.[28] In the case of Tekken 7 and Sonic Mania Plus, Denuvo caused a significant decrease in performance in several parts of the games.[29][30] Sam Machkovech of Ars Technica reviewed in-depth how Denuvo was causing performance penalties, releasing an article on the matter in December 2018.[31] In December 2018, Joel Hruska of ExtremeTech compared the performance of multiple games that use Denuvo and found that the games had significantly higher frame rates and lower loading times when the DRM system was disabled.[32] Richard Leadbetter of Digital Foundry found that a pirated version of Resident Evil Village that removed Capcom's in-house DRM, which was protected by Denuvo, performed significantly better than the retail version.[33] Capcom later released a patch for Village that, among other changes, altered how the game used Denuvo.[34] Leadbetter noted that the patch improved performance, running equivalent to the pirated version.[35]

In November 2021, several recent games using Denuvo were rendered unplayable, reportedly due to a Denuvo-owned domain name expiring.[36] In the same month, it was reported that Denuvo Anti-Tamper was incompatible with Windows 10 and Windows 11 systems running on CPUs in the Alder Lake series.[37] This was fixed by January 2022.[38]

On October 18, 2024, Denuvo launched its official Discord server as part of a PR campaign, which they claim is an important step toward building stronger connections with game developers, publishers, and players.[39][40] Later, Denuvo's Product manager Andreas Ullmann claimed, "moderating a group of users who dislike DRM is proving to be challenging, so the admins are shutting down and reopening Discord discussions day by day instead of keeping the server active always".[41]

References

[edit]
[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia

Denuvo

View on Grokipedia
from Grokipedia
Denuvo is a digital rights management (DRM) and anti-tamper technology developed by Irdeto to protect video games across multiple platforms from piracy, unauthorized modifications, and cheating. Originally developed by the Austrian company Denuvo Software Solutions GmbH, founded in 2013 through a management buyout of Sony DADC's digital security team, the technology gained prominence for its role in securing high-profile game releases. In January 2018, Irdeto, a global digital security firm with nearly 50 years of experience, acquired Denuvo to expand its gaming security offerings, integrating it into a broader portfolio that includes anti-cheat and anti-leak solutions. Denuvo's core components include Anti-Piracy, which employs advanced DRM to block cracked versions, secure downloadable content (DLC), and monitor piracy trends on peer-to-peer networks and torrent sites; Anti-Cheat, which uses AI to detect and neutralize cheats in multiplayer environments; and Anti-Leak, which safeguards pre-release builds by tracing unauthorized distributions. These features operate through techniques such as code obfuscation, hardware binding, and server-side validation, designed to minimize impact on legitimate players while enabling offline play after initial authentication. The technology supports platforms including PC (Windows), consoles, mobile devices, and Nintendo Switch, where it blocks unauthorized emulations to protect legitimate sales. As of 2022, Denuvo has secured over 1,000 titles and more than 2 billion unique game installs worldwide, contributing to extended "uncracked" windows for launches—such as the game Maneater, which remained protected for over 60 days post-release. By preventing revenue loss during critical launch periods, where 60-70% of sales typically occur, Denuvo helps publishers maintain control over intellectual property and fosters fair gameplay.

Overview

Definition and Purpose

Denuvo is a proprietary anti-tamper and digital rights management (DRM) system initially developed for protecting PC video games against reverse engineering, cracking, and tampering. It embeds security measures directly into game executables to safeguard intellectual property without requiring modifications to the game's source code. By hardening the binary and preventing unauthorized modifications, Denuvo aims to maintain the integrity of the game's licensing system and deter hackers from distributing pirated copies. Denuvo protects PC games from piracy by wrapping the game's code in heavy obfuscation and virtualization, running parts through a custom virtual machine with complex, junk-filled instructions that make reverse engineering extremely difficult. It binds the game to the computer's unique hardware fingerprint (collected on first launch) and performs ongoing integrity checks to detect tampering or unauthorized modifications. If changes are detected, the game may fail to run. This acts as a protective layer over existing platform DRM (like Steam), delaying cracks by months or years. The primary purpose of Denuvo is to secure revenue during a game's critical initial sales period by requiring online authentication to verify legitimate ownership. Upon first launch or after updates, the system performs an online check to bind the license to the user's hardware, issuing a new license only for valid changes like hardware upgrades, with limits such as five activations within 24 hours to block abuse. This approach deters piracy by extending the time before cracks become available, thereby protecting revenue during the launch period. Unlike traditional DRM solutions such as Steam's, which rely primarily on simple key validation, Denuvo emphasizes hardware binding and works atop existing platforms to enhance their security through code obfuscation and anti-tamper techniques. It was initially launched in 2014 with the release of FIFA 15 as the first protected title, addressing the prevalent threat of game piracy at the time. Over time, it has evolved to include anti-cheat capabilities for ongoing protection.

Ownership and Business Model

Denuvo Software Solutions GmbH was established in 2013 in Salzburg, Austria, through a management buyout of Sony DADC DigitalWorks, the team responsible for developing the SecuROM digital rights management technology. This buyout allowed the core team to form an independent entity focused on advanced anti-tamper solutions for the gaming industry. In January 2018, Irdeto, a global digital platform security company owned by Naspers, acquired Denuvo to enhance its offerings in anti-piracy and anti-cheat technologies for games across desktop, mobile, console, and VR platforms. The acquisition integrated Denuvo's expertise into Irdeto's broader cybersecurity portfolio, which serves media, entertainment, and transportation sectors. As of 2025, Denuvo's business model is a software-as-a-service (SaaS) licensing agreement, featuring a monthly fee of US$25,000 per protected game and an additional US$0.50 per game activation. Publishers often remove Denuvo after the launch window to reduce costs. Denuvo operates as a division of Irdeto, with expanded services including anti-cheat detection, leak prevention, and consulting on comprehensive anti-piracy strategies for publishers. This evolution positions Denuvo within Irdeto's ecosystem of AI-driven security solutions, emphasizing revenue protection and cyberthreat mitigation in the gaming sector.

History

Founding and Early Development

Denuvo's origins trace back to SecuROM, a digital rights management (DRM) system developed by DigitalWorks, a subsidiary of Sony DADC, in the early 2000s. SecuROM gained notoriety for its stringent measures, such as limiting activations to as few as three to five per CD key, which often prevented legitimate users from reinstalling games on new hardware or after system failures, sparking widespread consumer backlash and calls for boycotts during that decade. In 2013, a management buyout of the DigitalWorks team led to the formation of Denuvo Software Solutions GmbH, an Austrian company dedicated to advancing anti-tamper technologies that addressed SecuROM's intrusiveness while enhancing robustness against unauthorized modifications. The new entity focused its early research and development on hardware-based authentication methods, leveraging unique device identifiers to generate personalized encryption keys, with the goal of prolonging the "piracy window"—the critical post-launch period before cracks emerge—from the typical one to two days for unprotected titles to several weeks or more. Denuvo's first commercial implementation occurred in September 2014 with Electronic Arts' FIFA 15, followed shortly by BioWare's Dragon Age: Inquisition in November, introducing a novel approach to integrated executable protection that embedded anti-tamper code directly into game binaries to deter reverse engineering and piracy without relying solely on external servers. This debut marked a pivotal shift in DRM strategy, emphasizing seamless integration to safeguard revenue during launch windows.

Key Milestones and Acquisitions

In January 2018, Denuvo Software Solutions was acquired by Irdeto, a global digital security firm owned by Naspers, which facilitated expanded global operations and deeper integration into ecosystems like Sony's through Irdeto's existing media and gaming security partnerships. In March 2019, Denuvo announced the launch of its Anti-Cheat technology, a kernel-level solution designed for multiplayer titles to prevent cheating, with its first major implementation occurring in Doom Eternal the following year. A significant disruption occurred in November 2021 when a Denuvo-owned domain, codefusion.technology, expired without renewal, causing authentication failures that temporarily rendered numerous protected games unplayable for legitimate users worldwide until the issue was resolved days later. In January 2022, Denuvo addressed compatibility problems with Intel's 12th-generation Alder Lake processors, which had caused crashes in protected games due to the hybrid CPU architecture; the fix, developed in collaboration with Intel, restored functionality across affected titles on both Windows 10 and 11. August 2022 marked the introduction of Denuvo's Nintendo Switch Emulator Protection, the industry's first middleware specifically aimed at blocking unauthorized PC emulations of Switch games to safeguard against piracy. In October 2024, Denuvo launched an official Discord server to foster community dialogue and counter ongoing criticism regarding performance impacts, though it was temporarily suspended within days due to an influx of hostile messages. In March 2025, ahead of its early access release, Krafton removed Denuvo Anti-Tamper from InZOI following strong community backlash over potential performance drawbacks and modding restrictions. By October 2025, Denuvo Anti-Cheat was rolled out in the free-to-play shooter THE FINALS as part of a midseason update, replacing elements of the prior Easy Anti-Cheat system to enhance multiplayer integrity without affecting single-player modes.

Technology

Core Mechanisms

Denuvo Anti-Tamper is an advanced anti-tamper and digital rights management (DRM) technology designed to protect PC games from piracy. It combines multiple protective layers, including hardware fingerprinting, heavy code obfuscation and virtualization, online activation, and runtime integrity checks. These mechanisms act as an additional protective layer over existing platform DRM systems (such as Steam), significantly delaying unauthorized cracking and modifications. Denuvo Anti-Tamper employs hardware fingerprinting to generate a unique identifier for the user's device, binding the game license to specific non-alterable hardware components such as the CPU and motherboard to prevent unauthorized transfers or usage on different systems. This deep hardware binding enhances security by ensuring that the license is tied to the legitimate purchaser's machine, with provisions for reissuing a new license upon significant hardware upgrades if the game was acquired legally. The system utilizes heavy dynamic code obfuscation and code virtualization to protect the game's executable by altering and encrypting key sections of the code. Portions of the code are converted into bytecode executed within a custom virtual machine that incorporates complex, junk-filled instructions and mutated code structures. This makes reverse engineering extremely difficult and complicates efforts to identify or tamper with critical licensing or entitlement logic. By embedding protective layers that mutate or harden the code structure during integration into the build pipeline, Denuvo evades common debugging tools and static analysis methods without requiring modifications to the game's source code. Online activation forms a foundational step in Denuvo's protection, necessitating an initial internet connection upon first launch to validate the user's license against Irdeto's central servers and generate a device-specific token. This process limits activations to five systems within a 24-hour period to thwart brute-force attempts, after which the game operates offline indefinitely, though re-validation may be required if hardware changes significantly. Anti-debugging features are integral to Denuvo's design, actively detecting and blocking attempts to attach debuggers, emulators, or virtual machines to the game process, thereby triggering license revocation or application failure to safeguard against tampering. These mechanisms include runtime checks that identify suspicious environmental conditions, such as altered memory states or unauthorized hooking, ensuring the integrity of the protected code remains intact.

Versions and Implementations

Denuvo's standard anti-tamper solution is integrated by developers through its software development kit (SDK), which is embedded directly into game builds during the compilation process. This integration is particularly streamlined for popular engines such as Unity and Unreal Engine, where protection layers are inserted at key points in the codebase to verify executable integrity and prevent unauthorized modifications. Primarily designed for Windows platforms, the SDK allows developers to apply granular controls, such as shielding game data files from decryption and concealing debug consoles, ensuring compatibility without requiring extensive rework of existing assets. In 2020, Denuvo introduced an anti-cheat variant that extends beyond static protection to include real-time monitoring of player behavior in online multiplayer games. This component employs kernel-level drivers on Windows to detect and block cheating mechanisms, such as unauthorized memory modifications or external overlays, by operating at a low system level for comprehensive oversight. Unlike traditional anti-tamper features, it focuses on runtime integrity, disrupting cheat operations without impacting legitimate gameplay, and is deployed as a separate service alongside the core SDK. A specialized implementation for the Nintendo Switch emerged in 2022, known as Emulator Protection, which targets console-specific vulnerabilities by blocking hardware emulation on unauthorized platforms like PCs. This variant integrates seamlessly into the Switch's build toolchain via authorized middleware on the Nintendo Developer Portal, focusing on obfuscating emulation-sensitive code paths and preventing the execution of dumped ROMs in emulators. It complements existing PC protections by addressing cross-platform piracy risks unique to console ecosystems, without altering the core token-based authentication detailed in Denuvo's foundational mechanisms. The typical implementation workflow begins with developers licensing the Denuvo SDK from Irdeto, followed by embedding protection routines into the game's source or build pipeline using provided templates for engines like Unreal. Compatibility testing is then conducted to ensure no disruptions to performance or functionality, often involving iterative adjustments to protection intensity. Post-launch, updates to the protection can be delivered through game patches, allowing for refinements based on emerging threats or platform changes, all while maintaining the solution's lightweight footprint. In 2025, Denuvo Anti-Cheat was rolled out to cross-platform titles, including progressive deployment across PC and console versions of games like THE FINALS to support seamless multiplayer.

Adoption and Usage

Notable Games and Publishers

Denuvo was first adopted by major publishers in high-profile titles during its early years. Electronic Arts (EA) implemented it in FIFA 15, released in September 2014, marking one of the initial commercial deployments of the anti-tamper technology. Similarly, BioWare's Dragon Age: Inquisition, launched in November 2014, utilized Denuvo to protect its PC version against unauthorized distribution. Avalanche Studios followed suit with Just Cause 3 in December 2015, integrating Denuvo as part of its launch protection strategy. As Denuvo gained traction, larger publishers expanded its use across franchises. Ubisoft began incorporating it starting with Assassin's Creed Origins in October 2017, and continued with subsequent entries in the series, such as Odyssey (2018), Valhalla (2020), and Mirage (2023), to safeguard single-player experiences. Square Enix employed Denuvo in the Windows Edition of Final Fantasy XV, released in March 2018, to protect this open-world RPG from piracy during its PC debut. Capcom adopted it more recently for Resident Evil Village in May 2021, applying the technology to this survival horror title amid concerns over rapid cracking. In recent developments, Denuvo has evolved to include anti-cheat variants, as seen with Embark Studios' implementation in THE FINALS via a midseason update in October 2025, focusing on multiplayer integrity without the full DRM layer; by November 2025, the rollout was complete. Conversely, some publishers have opted for removals; for instance, Koch Media (now operating as PLAION under Embracer Group) decided to strip Denuvo from titles like Dead Island 2 in an update in October 2025, following its initial 2023 launch. Patterns in Denuvo's adoption reveal a preference for AAA single-player games perceived as high-risk for piracy, such as action-adventures and RPGs from established franchises. Some publishers retain it for the initial sales window and remove it after one to two years to minimize long-term maintenance overhead while allowing for better modding and performance optimization, while others keep it longer; some titles, such as Final Fantasy XV, continue to use Denuvo long-term.

Economic and Industry Impact

A 2024 study published in Entertainment Computing analyzed the revenue effects of Denuvo on PC video games, finding that it protects total revenue from piracy by a mean of 15% and a median of 20% when it delays cracks effectively. The research, based on sales data from over 200 titles, indicated that piracy without Denuvo leads to a mean 20% decrease in total revenue, particularly in the initial weeks post-launch—a period when Denuvo claims 59% of a game's revenue typically occurs. This protection has encouraged publishers to emphasize day-one digital sales, as Denuvo's early crack resistance safeguards the high-value launch period. Denuvo's licensing model imposes significant costs on publishers; leaked contracts suggest initial fees of around €140,000 for the first year, followed by €2,000 monthly, plus €0.50 per activation, with costs varying by title scale. These expenses can disproportionately affect smaller independent developers compared to AAA studios with larger budgets, influencing decisions on whether to adopt the technology for mid-tier releases. By 2025, growing community scrutiny has prompted selective Denuvo usage, with publishers weighing revenue benefits against player experience and maintenance costs. For instance, Krafton removed Denuvo from inZOI during its early access phase in March 2025, citing negative feedback on performance and a desire to foster modding and trust, despite acknowledging increased piracy risks. Similar removals, such as Capcom's from Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess on its launch anniversary in July 2025, reflect a broader industry trend toward hybrid approaches that prioritize long-term engagement over universal DRM application.

Criticism and Controversies

Performance and Technical Issues

Denuvo implementations have been associated with increased CPU overhead in several games, typically ranging from 5% to 15% higher usage, which can manifest as frame rate instability and stuttering. In Devil May Cry 5, for example, Digital Foundry's benchmarks revealed a approximately 7% overall performance reduction with Denuvo enabled, equating to about 13 fewer frames per second on average during gameplay. A similar issue occurred in Tekken 7, where director Katsuhiro Harada attributed frame rate drops—particularly during specific character moves like Akuma's Shakunetsu Hadouken—to Denuvo's anti-tamper middleware in 2018; Bandai Namco collaborated with Denuvo to deploy a patch that resolved the stuttering. The technology's encryption layers have also been shown to prolong loading times, often by 20-50% or more in protected titles, due to additional decryption processes during asset loading. Independent benchmarks across games like Rime and others demonstrated loading durations extended by 50-80% with Denuvo active, with frame time spikes contributing to perceived delays. In Sonic Mania Plus, the 2018 update introducing Denuvo led to reported slowdowns, including extended load screens attributed to the DRM's overhead on CPU resources. Compatibility challenges have arisen from Denuvo's reliance on external servers and hardware-specific interactions. In November 2021, an expired domain for Denuvo's authentication service caused a multi-day outage, rendering dozens of games unplayable, including recent releases like Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy and Football Manager 2022, as well as older titles such as Mortal Kombat 11 and Total War: Warhammer; the issue was swiftly resolved after domain renewal. Additionally, in late 2021 and early 2022, Denuvo proved unstable on Intel's 12th-generation Alder Lake processors, leading to crashes or launch failures in affected games on Windows 10 and 11; Intel partnered with game publishers and Microsoft to issue OS updates and game patches, fully addressing the incompatibility by January 25, 2022. More recently, in October 2025, the integration of Denuvo Anti-Cheat into THE FINALS during its midseason update 8.6.0 rollout elicited player reports of performance dips, such as frame rate inconsistencies and significant FPS drops on high-end systems.

Piracy Effectiveness and Community Backlash

Denuvo's anti-piracy measures have historically delayed the cracking of protected games by periods ranging from a few days to several months, with typical timelines falling between one and four weeks for many titles in recent years. For instance, Resident Evil 7 was cracked within seven days of its 2017 release, while Assassin's Creed Origins remained uncracked for over three months following its October 2017 launch. Cracking groups such as 3DM and CPY have repeatedly breached Denuvo protections since 2014, with early titles like FIFA 15 and Dragon Age: Inquisition cracked shortly after release, and CPY continuing with high-profile games such as Rise of the Tomb Raider in 2016. These breaches demonstrate that while Denuvo extends the time before pirated versions become available, dedicated crackers can eventually overcome it, often leading to widespread distribution of unauthorized copies. The effectiveness of Denuvo remains a point of contention between its developers and critics. Irdeto, Denuvo's parent company, asserts that the technology provides robust protection during the critical initial sales window, helping to safeguard revenue from piracy in the first few weeks or months after release. A 2024 academic study analyzing 155 PC games found that Denuvo protects total revenue from piracy by an average of 15% and a median of 20%, with early cracks causing up to a 20% revenue drop due to increased piracy. Critics, however, argue that once a game is cracked—often within weeks—Denuvo offers no ongoing value, as pirated versions proliferate long-term and undermine the perceived return on investment for publishers. This debate highlights Denuvo's strength in short-term deterrence but its limitations against persistent cracking efforts. As of 2025, trends show more developers removing Denuvo post-launch in response to community backlash, balancing security with player experience. Gamer backlash against Denuvo has intensified over time, manifesting in organized protests and demands for its removal from games. In March 2025, Krafton removed Denuvo from the early access build of InZOI just days before launch, following widespread pre-release outcry on platforms like Steam and social media, where players cited concerns over piracy risks and user freedom. Developers have also voiced opposition; CD Projekt RED has consistently avoided Denuvo in its titles, including Cyberpunk 2077, which launched DRM-free in 2020 to align with the studio's philosophy of trusting players and prioritizing accessibility over anti-piracy measures. Community actions have further amplified the backlash, including coordinated review bombing on Steam for Denuvo-protected games. Titles like Doom Eternal faced mass negative reviews in 2020 after an update introduced Denuvo's anti-cheat component, dropping the game's recent review score significantly until its removal. Similarly, Deathloop was review-bombed in 2021 due to authentication issues tied to Denuvo. In October 2024, Irdeto's attempt to launch an official Denuvo Discord server to address criticisms backfired, leading to an influx of hostile messages that forced temporary suspension and muting of channels just two days after opening, underscoring the depth of gamer frustration.

References

  1. https://irdeto.com/video-games
  2. https://irdeto.com/video-games/denuvo-anti-piracy
  3. https://www.pitchbook.com/profiles/company/143906-86
  4. https://techcrunch.com/2018/01/23/anti-piracy-firm-denuvo-acquired-by-digital-security-outfit-irdeto/
  5. https://irdeto.com/blog/pc-anti-tamper-technology-worries-tamed
  6. https://irdeto.com/hubfs/resources/e-books/denuvo-anti-tamper-top-myths-for-pc-console.pdf
  7. https://irdeto.com/news/denuvo-by-irdeto-now-registered-as-authorised-nintendo-switch-middleware
  8. https://irdeto.com/news/denuvo-by-irdeto-launches-the-industrys-first-nintendo-switch-emulator-protection
  9. https://irdeto.com/hubfs/resources/data-sheets/denuvo-anti-tamper-technology.pdf
  10. https://www.mobygames.com/company/25240/denuvo-software-solutions-gmbh/history/
  11. https://www.pcgamesn.com/just-cause-3/we-speak-to-denuvo-whose-anti-tamper-tech-may-have-left-piracy-dead-in-the-water
  12. https://mergr.com/denuvo-overview
  13. https://aws.amazon.com/marketplace/pp/prodview-x443idlstvufi
  14. https://irdeto.com/news/coinbase-selects-irdeto-to-disrupt-piracy-and-cybercrime
  15. https://scholarship.law.duke.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1189&context=dltr
  16. https://www.pcgamingwiki.com/wiki/SecuROM
  17. https://pitchbook.com/profiles/company/143906-86
  18. https://www.pcgamingwiki.com/wiki/Denuvo
  19. https://www.eurogamer.net/denuvo-anti-tamper-drm
  20. https://www.dsogaming.com/news/dragon-age-inquisition-uses-denuvos-drm-same-protection-used-in-lords-of-the-fallen-fifa-15/
  21. https://www.gamesindustry.biz/irdeto-acquires-denuvo-in-bid-to-beef-up-security-in-the-games-industry
  22. https://www.ginx.tv/en/video-games/doom-eternal-will-be-the-first-game-to-use-denuvo-anti-cheat
  23. https://www.pcgamer.com/a-great-day-for-drm-as-denuvo-lapse-renders-tons-of-games-temporarily-unplayable/
  24. https://www.techdirt.com/2021/11/10/denuvo-games-once-again-broken-paying-customers-thanks-to-drm-mishap/
  25. https://irdeto.com/blog/alder-lakes-incompatibility-issue-fixed
  26. https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/support/articles/000088261/processors/intel-core-processors.html
  27. https://www.ign.com/articles/anti-piracy-software-denuvo-is-now-available-on-nintendo-switch
  28. https://techraptor.net/gaming/news/denuvo-discord-suspended-inappropriate-content
  29. https://simscommunity.info/2025/03/26/inzoi-denuvo-statement-krafton/
  30. https://www.kitguru.net/desktop-pc/mustafa-mahmoud/inzoi-has-removed-denuvo-drm-ahead-of-launch/
  31. https://www.gamingonlinux.com/2025/10/embark-studios-confirm-rollout-of-denuvo-anti-cheat-for-the-finals/
  32. https://www.reachthefinals.com/patchnotes/860
  33. https://connorjaydunn.github.io/blog/posts/denuvo-analysis/
  34. https://irdeto.com/news/denuvo-by-irdeto-unveils-new-features-for-enhanced-gaming-security-at-gamescom
  35. https://www.gamedeveloper.com/business/denuvo-releases-anti-piracy-security-for-unreal-engine-and-nintendo-switch
  36. https://irdeto.com/blog/denuvo-anti-cheat-why-we-chose-to-use-a-windows-kernel-mode-driver-in-our-solution
  37. https://www.reachthefinals.com/patchnotes/790
  38. https://financialpost.com/technology/gaming/just-cause-3-is-proving-nearly-unpirateable-and-thats-great
  39. https://www.dsogaming.com/articles/assassins-creed-origins-denuvo-vs-denuvo-free-benchmarks-significantly-less-stuttering-faster-loading/
  40. https://www.pcgamer.com/capcom-removes-denuvo-from-resident-evil-village/
  41. https://www.dsogaming.com/news/deep-silver-has-removed-denuvo-from-dead-island-2/
  42. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1875952124002532
  43. https://www.scoredetect.com/blog/posts/denuvo-anti-tamper-game-security-vs-gamer-concerns
  44. https://www.techpowerup.com/275158/denuvo-drm-pricing-structure-specific-to-crysis-remastered-leaked-over-usd-100k-for-a-year
  45. https://www.gamedeveloper.com/business/how-much-does-denuvo-cost-indie-devs-say-it-s-too-much
  46. https://techbullion.com/denuvo-in-2025-why-some-games-ship-with-the-drm-and-others-remove-it/
  47. https://www.eurogamer.net/digitalfoundry-2019-devil-may-cry-5-pc-denuvo-protection-tested
  48. https://wccftech.com/tekken-7-denuvo-drm-performance-issues/
  49. https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2018/12/evidence-continues-to-mount-about-how-bad-denuvo-is-for-pc-gaming-performance/
  50. https://www.vg247.com/sonic-mania-plus-encore-dlc-denuvo-drm-issues-steam
  51. https://www.pcgamesn.com/guardians-of-the-galaxy/denuvo-service-outage
  52. https://crackrelease.com/cracked-or-bypassed-denuvo-games-list/
  53. https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=4832966
Add your contribution
Related Hubs
User Avatar
No comments yet.