Denuvo’s product manager Andreas Ullmann has come forward to defend the company's anti-piracy software in response to ongoing criticisms from the gaming community.
Denuvo’s Product Manager Defends Anti-Piracy Software Amidst Backlash
Denuvo Addresses Performance Concerns and Misinformation
In a recent interview, Denuvo’s product manager Andreas Ullmann addressed the intense backlash the anti-piracy company has faced from gamers. Ullmann described the community's response as "very toxic" and suggested that many criticisms, particularly those concerning performance impacts, are based on misinformation and confirmation bias.
For context, Denuvo’s anti-tamper DRM is commonly used by major publishers to protect new game releases from piracy, including titles like Final Fantasy 16. However, gamers often blame the DRM for reduced game performance, citing anecdotal evidence or unverified benchmarks that show differences in framerate or stability when Denuvo is removed. Ullmann countered these claims, asserting that even cracked versions of games still contain Denuvo’s code.
"The cracks, they don’t remove our protection," Ullmann explained 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 questioned about whether Denuvo can negatively impact game performance, Ullmann did not outright deny it, stating, "No, and I think that’s also something we’ve stated in our FAQ on Discord." He acknowledged 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 seems to contradict 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 suggested that misinformation from the piracy community has fueled misunderstandings, urging players to recognize Denuvo’s contributions to the industry and not to vilify 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 foster open communication with the gaming community. However, the attempt was short-lived; within just two days, Denuvo shut down the server’s main chat after it was flooded with anti-DRM memes, performance complaints, and other critical messages. 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 failed initial outreach, Ullmann remains optimistic. In his interview with Rock, Paper, Shotgun, he said, "You have to start somewhere, right? 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."
The effectiveness of Denuvo's upcoming transparency efforts in changing the community's perception remains to be seen, but the company'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."
