Denuvo are suing a prolific cracker for bypassing their DRM on 26 videogames, despite not knowing their real identity

Denuvo has filed a lawsuit against an unidentified individual or entity, referred to as "voices38," alleging the bypassing of DRM protections on 26 games. The company claims to have linked the cracker to a Discord ID, Reddit account, and Steam profiles but lacks definitive identification. The legal action aims to deter similar crackers and facilitate the removal of download links for DRM-bypassing tools. The lawsuit also seeks permission to subpoena Valve, Reddit, and Discord for additional user information.

The cracker, identified only by the username "voices38," has publicly dismissed the legal threat, stating in a Reddit comment, "All is fine. Everything will continue as normal." Despite the lawsuit, voices38’s activities appear unaffected, with no indication of a pause in their operations. The cracker’s tools are primarily used for game piracy, though Denuvo’s DRM is also criticized for its performance impact on games.

Denuvo’s anti-tamper protection encrypts and obfuscates game code, which some users argue negatively affects performance. While Denuvo pledged in 2023 to launch an independent testing initiative to address these concerns, no such initiative has been confirmed as of now. The company has not provided updates on the progress or implementation of these tests.

Critics of Denuvo’s DRM also highlight its reliance on online checks, raising concerns about long-term game preservation. The software’s requirement for periodic online authentication poses risks to offline play and future access to games, particularly if servers are discontinued. This issue has fueled ongoing debates about the balance between DRM protections and game accessibility.