The Anti-Denuvo Thread
The Anti-Denuvo Thread
"You take control your own way," Linus remarked in a video later taken down by Google, discussing the use of alternative methods to YouTube. Yet, personal opinions about removing Denuvo DRM don’t automatically equate to piracy. While big companies might claim otherwise, my perspective isn’t really focused on this topic. I’ll begin by expressing my strong dislike for Denuvo. I don’t mean harm toward anyone involved, but I truly dislike the company, the restrictions, and their intentions. It’s a word that captures how passionate I am about this matter. Denuvo seems more interested in profits than user needs, focusing solely on financial gain. By pushing users to install DRM for certain titles, they claim it will curb piracy and boost profits—but it hasn’t worked entirely. It’s definitely frustrating. Yes, it can be annoying. Denuvo Anti-Tamper has faced criticism from players and developers alike, often slowing down performance due to storage demands and constant internet needs. It also raises privacy concerns, as some anti-tamper features require online checks, preventing offline play. Interestingly, a Denuvo spokesperson described the community as “very toxic,” leading them to close a Discord server over harsh remarks. They should have anticipated this; many dislike being locked out of their preferred gaming experience. I must stress that I’m not endorsing piracy in its simplest form—paying for what you’re entitled to is important. My goal is to own games I can enjoy, so I avoid free downloads unless publishers offer them at no cost. I simply dislike the strict rules. With Denuvo Anti-Tamper, performance may suffer, as noted before. Games often fail on platforms where they aren’t available, making preservation by archivists nearly impossible. Privacy is compromised because launching a game usually requires an internet connection, which can be mandatory. In a twist, some methods exist to bypass DRM checks—like disabling Steam during launch—but these aren’t foolproof and don’t guarantee safe offline play. It’s disappointing when major studios keep embedding DRM in games, especially since it affects accessibility across devices. Removing DRM would have been welcome for developers like Capcom last year with Sonic Frontiers. Still, many titles from Sega, Nintendo Switch, Bethesda, Avalanche, Ubisoft, and Bandai Namco have Denuvo built-in, which is frustrating. It’s not my intention to promote piracy, but I can’t ignore the real issues. It would be nice if all major games were DRM-free, relying on trust models similar to GOG.com, but such a perfect system doesn’t exist yet. I appreciate many IPs from these companies and will only purchase games they develop without DRMO. That’s my current rule.
BTW, I categorized this under "PC Gaming" since it mainly reflects my frustrations with games on Steam, and I assume most PC players face similar issues with Denuvo. Still, it affects consoles as well, and I brought it up for Nintendo too.
Avoid purchasing games with Denuvo. If developers truly understood the issue, they'd act quickly, and Denuvo would disappear.
Why bother at all? If more AAA firms relied on their audience rather than squeezing every penny from players, they could achieve even greater revenues—though even then, fighting piracy isn't worth it. It blames unsuspecting customers for downloading games before they’ve even started playing!
They might lack confidence in their offering and are seeking strong reassurance from investors. This approach worked well at first, but once issues emerged, it became crucial to maintain stability. In reality, it’s a missed opportunity—they should redirect their efforts elsewhere.
Ironically I'm still playing multiple Denuvo editions of certain Resident Evil titles since they run smoother than the updated ones. PS: GOG does offer DRM-free games too, though getting a refund from them is quite tough. I don't use GOG at all—something feels off about them.
I understand the moderator's note regarding discussions about piracy rules. I support that point. I'm not trying to violate any DRM limits here—though I'd be open to exploring alternatives like Denuvo removal. Still, I'm curious who among us opposes these restrictions. Wouldn't mind hearing suggestions on games without Denuvo by default (like those on GOG.com) or when publishers remove anti-tamper features. I don't mind using GOG, and I've found some free titles through their promotions. What makes you think they have hidden reasons? They appear transparent to me. And I was expecting every game they sell to be DRM-free, at least on legitimate platforms. What defines DRM for you?
I see. That's interesting. I was not aware of this. It seems that company management has changed enough to allow developers to inject some forms of non-invasive DRM - or maybe GOG claims it's not DRM? I don't quite know, but I can make assumptions. Needing an account for extra content, as long as the base game is playable, does not seem terrible to me, however it can't be labeled as "DRM-free" because it's more like "DRM-light". That said, it does seem troubling for GOG in the future, especially considering that in times past, they were so vehemently against DRM that in 2018, they had a promotion called "FCK DRM" (exactly what you're thinking), which linked to sites that offered content for free - and now they claim "This might be subjective, but as long as these additional features and rewards do not affect the single-player offline experience in a major way, we believe that the developers and publishers should be free to design and sell their games in a way they choose." All I can say is, if they allow games with Denuvo baked in, then I will no longer trust their claims of being DRM-free in any capacity. I expect that from other platforms, but NOT GOG. Griping over Easy Anti-Cheat being installed seems trivial IMHO, as it prevents online cheating (which I do not tolerate) and not game distribution, and in some games can be disabled or even uninstalled altogether. So, yeah, requiring accounts for DLC, extra modes, etc. is borderline DRM-locked, but it isn't outright preventative of offline game play and free distribution, and I don't play many of the games on that list anyway, so I'm not worried (yet).