Denuvo Fully Cracked, 2K Fights Back With New Measures
▼ Summary
– Denuvo DRM has been fully bypassed by modders using a new hypervisor-based bypass technique, allowing pirates to play games without paying.
– The bypass list for Denuvo games that don’t require online servers reached zero on April 27, marking a milestone for hackers.
– Bypassing Denuvo has led to performance improvements in some games, like Resident Evil Requiem, potentially encouraging even legal buyers to use the bypass.
– In response, 2K Games has added 14-day online check-ins to games like NBA 2K25 and Marvel’s Midnight Suns, requiring periodic internet connections to verify licenses.
– The new check-in system uses a fixed offline authorization token that expires after two weeks, and hackers claim this is not properly disclosed on Steam store pages or EULAs.
The long-running battle between game publishers and pirates has taken a dramatic turn. Denuvo, the controversial and widely disliked DRM technology, has reportedly been fully cracked by a new technique developed by determined modders and hackers. As a direct response, publisher 2K Games is now fighting back, enlisting Denuvo’s help to implement a new, more aggressive protection measure for its PC titles.
According to a report from Tom’s Hardware, a major Reddit thread tracking which Denuvo-protected games remained uncracked officially reached zero on April 27. This list specifically tracks titles that do not require a persistent online server connection, excluding MMORPGs and similar online-only experiences. In practical terms, this milestone signals that, according to the hacking community, Denuvo can no longer prevent pirates from downloading and playing games for free. The breakthrough is largely credited to the MKDev collective and a modder known as DenuvOwO, who created a hypervisor-based bypass (HVB). This technique installs a kernel-level driver to circumvent Denuvo’s DRM checks, effectively rendering the protection inert.
While Denuvo technically remains present in the game files, it no longer functions as intended. Pirates can now play without paying. There is even early evidence that bypassing Denuvo yields performance improvements, as seen in titles like Resident Evil Requiem. This could incentivize some legitimate buyers to use the bypass as well, a pattern observed in 2021 when hackers bypassed Denuvo in a previous Resident Evil game.
The ethics of DRM circumvention are complex. Video game preservation often relies on cracked versions to keep titles playable long after a publisher moves on or delists a game. However, for companies that develop, publish, and sell games, a fully cracked Denuvo is a financial nightmare. Unsurprisingly, some publishers are already retaliating.
As reported by Pirat Nation and Tom’s Hardware, 2K Games has begun adding 14-day online check-ins to several of its PC titles. This new measure has reportedly been applied to NBA 2K25, NBA 2K26, and Marvel’s Midnight Suns. These games now use a “fixed offline authorization token” that expires after two weeks. Once the token runs out, the game becomes unplayable until the player connects to the internet, allowing the game to ping Denuvo for a fresh token. Hackers and Pirat Nation claim this countdown is not properly disclosed on the games’ Steam Store pages or within their respective End User License Agreements (EULAs).
Kotaku has reached out to both 2K and Denuvo for comment but has not received a response as of publication. The cat-and-mouse game between publishers and pirates shows no signs of slowing down.
(Source: Kotaku)
