Skip to main content

Denuvo copy protection suffers a setback with swift 'Resident Evil 7' crack

resident evil 7 denuvo copy protection cracked denuvodefeated
Image used with permission by copyright holder
Once thought uncrackable by PC hacker groups, the Denuvo DRM protecting the PC version of Resident Evil 7 was easily bypassed this weekend, allowing Capcom’s game to be freely pirated less than a week after launch.

The short time frame for the crack is significant, as Denuvo’s DRM was previously considered to be so difficult to decipher that some cracking groups refused to wrestle with its many intricacies. This weekend’s revelation will likely lead to the quick cracking and distribution of future Denuvo-protected games.

Released worldwide this week, Resident Evil 7 represents a dramatic transformation for Capcom’s long-running survival horror series. After two decades’ worth of action-oriented releases for the series, Resident Evil 7 shifts its gameplay to a first-person perspective, emphasizing its horror-themed narrative over all-out action.

The PC version of Resident Evil 7 was a particular point of pride for Capcom, as the publisher chose to employ Denuvo’s anti-tamper technology and digital rights management scheme in order to protect it from being pirated upon release. Previously featured in high-profile PC games like Rise of the Tomb Raider and Watch Dogs 2, Denuvo’s DRM requires hackers to sift through a game’s code in order to remove multiple trigger points before a cracked version can be created.

The location of specific trigger points within Denuvo’s DRM also varies from game to game, making it impossible to remove the protection using automated tools. Up until recently, cracking it required hours of intense, repetitive work on the part of hackers, reducing the likelihood of cracks being released for protected games at launch.

This week’s fast hacking work on Resident Evil 7 makes it very likely that future Denuvo-protected games will be similarly cracked in the months ahead. Ubisoft’s Denuvo-protected For Honor will be a primary target for hackers upon its release next month, as the publisher previously announced that the game will require an always-online connection for paying customers, even in its single-player mode. Players who download a cracked version will not face any such restrictions.

Other Denuvo-protected games premiering in the months ahead include Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Wildlands and South Park: The Fractured But Whole. Currently, there’s no word as to whether Denuvo’s copy protection will be strengthened for future releases.

Editors' Recommendations

Danny Cowan
Danny’s passion for video games was ignited upon his first encounter with Nintendo’s Duck Hunt, and years later, he still…
Don’t start the Resident Evil 4 remake before playing these 5 games
Saddler looms in front of amber in the Resident Evil 4 remake.

Capcom’s Resident Evil 4 remake is just a few days away and the anticipation couldn’t be higher. After a wave of glowing reviews, fans of the GameCube classic are ready to have their heads chainsawed off all over again. That wait will come to an end on Friday, March 24, but impatient players may find themselves looking for a way to kill the time until then.

If you’re in the boat, or simply want to properly prepare yourself for the remake, we’re here to help. Part of the Resident Evil 4 remake’s appeal is the way it engages with not just the original game or the series’ past, but the 20 years’ worth of gaming history that would follow it. With a game as important and influential as Resident Evil 4, you don’t need to go far to see how it impacted the action-adventure genre. The remake shines because it’s seemingly aware of that idea, examining the original through a modern lens.

Read more
Can’t wait for the Resident Evil 4 remake? Watch Chainsaw Man
Leon leans on a window in Resident Evil 4 remake.

With the upcoming Resident Evil 4 remake looming ever closer, fans may be looking for something to whet their appetites with. Given Resident Evil 4's unique identity, it's often hard to find media that matches what the third-person shooter delivers. Narratively, it rides a delicate line between shocking horror and camp comedy in a way that doesn’t seem like it would work on paper, but in execution gives the game a voice all of its own.

There aren’t many other video games that successfully pull off RE4’s mix of tones although some like Lollipop Chainsaw and other games in the Resident Evil series have tried. For all their effort, though, games going for a similar feeling as Resident Evil 4 tend to miss the mark in one way or another whether that’s due to a lack of solid horror moments or self-aware camp from a writing perspective. This has made recommending things similar to RE4 to people who are looking for more sort of tricky. Other than a small handful of other pieces of media like Evil Dead 2, finding a good recommended companion piece for the game is a difficult task.

Read more
Resident Evil 4 remake is coming to PS4, but seemingly not Xbox One
Resident Evil 4 remake promo art with title and Leon Kennedy.

During Capcom's Tokyo Game Show presentation, the company gave us another look at Resident Evil Village: Gold Edition and announced a new platform for Resident Evil 4's remake. Capcom confirmed that the upcoming Resident Evil 4 remake is coming to PlayStation 4.

The game was revealed at a PlayStation State of Play presentation earlier this year, but was only confirmed for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S. Interestingly, Capcom noted that the game was coming to PS4 but did not mention Microsoft's last-gen system, the Xbox One. We reached out to Capcom and asked about a potential Xbox One version, but a Capcom representative told Digital Trends that "Capcom hasn’t made any other statements about platforms for RE4."

Read more