: Widely considered the most effective and controversial DRM on the market, Denuvo is designed to prevent the reverse engineering of a game's executable file. It obfuscates the game's code and requires constant online "tickets" or checks to verify the game's authenticity. Denuvo doesn't just sit on top of the game; crackers have described it as being "interwoven with the game logic," necessitating its removal from various functions throughout the title. A 2019 report from the German tech site extreme.pcgameshardware.de noted that both Anthem and Ghost Recon Breakpoint remained uncracked according to Crackwatch, a trend that has continued.
To make an always-online game run without official servers, reverse engineers must write a custom server emulator. This process involves:
Ubisoft pivoted completely to a live-service model. By forcing an online check for progression, they effectively killed the possibility of traditional piracy while attempting to curb cheating in the PvP "Ghost War" mode. The Controversial Legacy of Always-Online DRM