Denuvo Takes Legal Action Against Notorious Game Pirate, Who Remains Unfazed
Denuvo, a well-known name in anti-piracy software, is taking legal action against a notorious video game pirate who goes by the handle “voices38.” This individual has been active for nearly a year, sharing cracked versions of PC games on Reddit. Denuvo aims to put a stop to this activity, but a recent message from voices38 suggests they remain unfazed, hinting that more cracked games are on the way.
On Monday, Denuvo filed a lawsuit in the U.S. Northern District Court of California, accusing voices38 of manipulating and bypassing its anti-piracy technology used in over two dozen games, including titles like Doom: The Dark Ages, Resident Evil Requiem, and Hogwarts Legacy. The company claims these actions violate the DMCA’s anti-circumvention provisions.
In court documents, Denuvo described voices38 as a hacker focused on reverse engineering and cracking games that utilize Denuvo’s Anti-Tamper product. They allege that the defendant has circumvented DRM protections in copyrighted works, enabling the distribution of pirated versions.
In response, voices38 posted on Reddit, stating, “All is fine. Everything will continue as normal,” a comment that has garnered significant support with over seven thousand upvotes.
While Denuvo cannot sue for copyright infringement since it does not hold rights to the games mentioned, the DMCA allows any entity adversely affected by piracy to pursue such lawsuits. Denuvo’s business model revolves around selling DRM solutions to prevent unauthorized downloads, which it argues has been compromised by voices38. Notably, the companies that own the games targeted by the pirate are not involved in the lawsuit.
Here’s the complete list of games Denuvo claims voices38 has cracked:
1. Need for Speed Heat
2. EA Sports FIFA 20
3. Star Wars: Squadrons
4. Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit Remastered
5. EA Sports FIFA 21
6. Hi-Fi Rush
7. F1 2021
8. Dead Space (Remake)
9. Doom: The Dark Ages
10. Mafia: Old Country
11. LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight
12. Hogwarts Legacy
13. Total War: Three Kingdoms
14. Starlink: Battle for Atlas
15. Shining Resonance Refrain
16. PES 2020
17. Shin Megami Tensei III Nocturne HD
18. Scott Pilgrim vs. The World
19. Anno 1800
20. Sonic Frontiers
21. Assassin’s Creed Mirage
22. Pragmata
23. Resident Evil Requiem
24. Black Myth Wukong
25. Stellar Blade
26. 007 First Light
This marks the first instance of Denuvo pursuing a video game pirate in the U.S. through legal channels. While the company has yet to identify voices38, it reportedly has a list of online IDs, including seven Steam profiles, believed to be linked to the pirate. Denuvo plans to issue subpoenas to Valve, Reddit, and other platforms to gather more information about voices38, seeking an injunction to prevent any future circumvention of its technology.
However, public sentiment appears to be against Denuvo, as many gamers have criticized the company’s software for causing performance issues, blocking legitimate users, and creating other frustrating experiences.
