"Denuvo DRM Criticism Linked to 'Toxic' Gamers"

Denuvo’s product manager Andreas Ullmann has come forward to defend the company's anti-piracy software amidst ongoing criticism from the gaming community.

Denuvo’s Product Manager Defends Anti-Piracy Software Amidst Backlash

Denuvo Addresses Performance Concerns and Misinformation

In a recent interview, Andreas Ullmann, Denuvo's product manager, tackled the intense backlash the anti-piracy company has received from gamers. He described the community's response as "very toxic" and pointed out that much of the criticism, particularly regarding performance impacts, is based on misinformation and confirmation bias.

For context, Denuvo’s anti-tamper DRM is widely used by major publishers to protect new game releases from piracy, including titles like Final Fantasy 16. However, gamers often claim that Denuvo negatively affects game performance, citing anecdotal evidence or unverified benchmarks that show differences in framerate or stability when the DRM is removed. Ullmann refuted these claims, explaining that cracked versions of games still contain Denuvo’s code.

"The cracks, they don’t remove our protection," Ullmann stated in an interview with Rock, Paper, Shotgun. "There is even more code on top of the cracked code—that is executing on top of our code, and causing even more stuff to be executed. So there is technically no way that the cracked version is faster than the uncracked version."

When asked if he denies that Denuvo can negatively impact game performance, Ullmann responded, "No, and I think that’s also something we’ve stated in our FAQ on Discord." He acknowledged that there were "valid cases," such as with Tekken 7, where games using Denuvo DRM experienced noticeable performance issues.

However, the company’s Anti-Tamper Q&A contradicts this claim. According to the FAQ, "Anti-Tamper has no perceptible effect on game performance nor is Anti-Tamper to blame for any game crashes of genuine executables."

On Denuvo’s Negative Reputation and Discord Shutdown

Ullmann, an avid gamer himself, acknowledged that gamers often struggle to see the immediate benefits of DRM. He argued that the benefits to developers are significant, citing studies that show games with effective DRM see a "20%" revenue increase by deterring early piracy. He also suggested that misinformation from the piracy community has fueled misunderstandings, urging players to recognize Denuvo’s contributions to the industry and avoid vilifying DRM without substantial evidence.

"These big corporations are… looking for a way to minimize the risk for their investment," said Ullmann. "Again, this does not have an immediate benefit for me as a player. But if you look further, the more successful a game is, the longer it will get updates. The more additional content will come to that game, the more likely it is that there will be a next iteration of the game. That's basically the benefits that we offer to the average player."

Despite efforts to clarify misunderstandings, Denuvo continues to face criticism from gamers. On October 15, 2024, Denuvo launched a public Discord server to engage with gamers and address their concerns. According to Denuvo, this was "a way to open up our communication and, in a way, ourselves, to your voices."

However, within just two days, Denuvo had to shut down the server’s main chat due to an influx of users turning the platform into a hub for anti-DRM memes and performance complaints. The overwhelming response forced Denuvo’s small moderation team to pause all chat permissions and temporarily switch the server to read-only mode. Their social media posts continue to receive similar feedback.

Despite the initial setback, Ullmann remains optimistic in his interview with Rock, Paper, Shotgun. "You have to start somewhere, right?" he said. "So this is now the start for this initiative, and we want to be out there. It will take some time. It will start on Discord, and later on we hope we can move to other platforms: Reddit, Steam forums, to have official accounts and throw our comments into the discussions."

Whether these transparency efforts will change the community's perspective is uncertain, but Denuvo’s attempt to control the narrative aims to foster a more balanced dialogue between gamers and developers. As Ullmann stated, "This is exactly what we are looking for. Having honest, nice conversations with people. Talking about what we all love, which is gaming."