Denuvo DRM Hate is Supposedly from “Toxic” Gamers

Denuvo's Product Manager Addresses Gamer Backlash Against Anti-Piracy Software

Andreas Ullmann, Denuvo's product manager, recently defended the company's anti-piracy technology against persistent criticism from the gaming community. He characterized the gamer response as "very toxic," attributing much of the negative feedback, particularly concerning performance issues, to misinformation and confirmation bias.

Denuvo's anti-tamper DRM is widely used by major publishers to protect new game releases from piracy, with titles like Final Fantasy 16 being recent examples. However, gamers frequently claim the DRM negatively impacts performance, often citing anecdotal evidence or unverified benchmarks. Ullmann countered these claims, stating that cracked game versions still contain Denuvo's code, and the additional code layered on top during the cracking process actually increases processing demands, making the cracked versions slower, not faster.

While acknowledging "valid cases" where Denuvo caused performance problems (like with Tekken 7), Ullmann pointed to the company's FAQ on Discord, which claims Denuvo has no perceptible impact on performance. This statement, however, contradicts his own admission of performance issues in certain titles.

Ullmann, himself a gamer, understands gamer frustration with DRM, but argues that the benefits for developers are significant. Studies suggest that effective DRM can boost game revenue by 20% through piracy deterrence. He believes misinformation spread by the piracy community fuels the negative perception of Denuvo and urges gamers to consider the long-term benefits for the industry, such as extended game support and future content.

Denuvo's attempt at improved communication through a public Discord server proved short-lived. Overwhelmed by a flood of anti-DRM memes and complaints, the server's main chat was shut down within two days, temporarily shifting to read-only mode. Despite this setback, Ullmann remains committed to improving communication with the gaming community, planning to expand their outreach to platforms like Reddit and Steam forums.

Whether these transparency efforts will change gamer perceptions remains to be seen, but Denuvo aims to foster a more constructive dialogue, focusing on shared passion for gaming.