After three years of mixed feelings among players, Bethesda has made a surprising move by removing the much-debated Denuvo DRM from Doom Eternal. This DRM, known for its strict anti-piracy measures, had been a thorn in the side of many gamers since the game’s launch in March 2020.
Bethesda initially promoted Denuvo as a “feature,” but due to backlash, it was temporarily removed by id Software. However, it later made a return for the game’s multiplayer mode. Now, it seems Denuvo has finally been shown the door.
The news of this removal comes from the vigilant SteamDB community, as shared on the r/Games subreddit. Interestingly, Bethesda itself did not make an official announcement or draw attention to this change. This low-profile move suggests that the intention might have been to silently eliminate the DRM without much fanfare.
Is Bethesda Parting Ways with Denuvo?
Denuvo DRM has traditionally served as an initial safeguard against piracy shortly after a game’s release. It provided a sense of security for developers and publishers concerned about their games being cracked and shared illegally. However, maintaining Denuvo for an extended period can be expensive, and some developers, such as Capcom, have swiftly removed it from their titles.
While Denuvo has been no stranger to negative publicity, it remains widely used in the gaming industry. Therefore, it’s intriguing that Bethesda has chosen to remove Denuvo from Doom Eternal, especially with the recent release of Starfield.
Starfield, Bethesda’s highly anticipated game, surprisingly does not utilize Denuvo. This decision raises questions about Bethesda’s future stance on anti-piracy measures. Will the company continue to forgo Denuvo for its flagship releases? Only time will unveil the company’s strategy, making this a noteworthy development for gamers and the industry as a whole.
