Andreas Ullmann, Denuvo's product manager, has publicly defended the company's anti-piracy technology in response to persistent criticism from gamers.
Denuvo Exec Responds to Community Backlash Over Anti-Piracy Measures
Performance Issues and Misconceptions Addressed
In a candid interview, Denuvo's Andreas Ullmann acknowledged the vocal opposition from gamers while characterizing much of it as misinformed. He noted that claims about performance degradation often rely on anecdotal evidence rather than verified data, pointing out that cracked game versions actually contain additional code execution layers.
While used extensively by major publishers like Square Enix for titles such as Final Fantasy 16, Denuvo's DRM continues facing accusations of impairing game performance. Ullmann countered these claims by explaining how cracked games still operate Denuvo's protection code: "The modified versions don't eliminate our safeguards - they add execution layers on top, making them technically impossible to run faster than original builds."
When pressed about potential performance impacts, Ullmann admitted isolated cases like Tekken 7 showed legitimate issues, despite Denuvo's official FAQ stating: "Our Anti-Tamper technology doesn't noticeably affect performance or cause crashes in legitimate game versions."
Community Outreach Challenges and Discord Controversy
Ullmann, a self-described passionate gamer, acknowledged DRM provides no immediate consumer benefits but stressed its commercial importance - citing research showing 20% revenue protection from piracy deterrence. He attributed much of Denuvo's negative perception to misinformation spread by piracy communities.
The company's October 2024 Discord experiment aimed to foster direct dialogue but collapsed within 48 hours as participants flooded channels with memes and criticism. Overwhelmed moderators converted the server to read-only mode, though Ullmann remains committed to future outreach through platforms like Reddit and Steam forums.
Despite these challenges, Ullmann maintains optimism about improving industry dialogue: "We're starting this initiative to have genuine conversations about what we all care about - great gaming experiences." Whether these transparency efforts will change perceptions remains uncertain as Denuvo continues balancing developer needs with player concerns.
