Arkane’s next game will seemingly still launch with Denuvo DRM.
The launch of an Arkane game usually comes with a lot of hype, which it duly delivers. See Deathloop, and Prey before that, and Dishonored before that. Hence the early excitement for Redfall, which launches next month. However, that excitement has been tainted somewhat. Tainted by the reveal that the game will always need to be online, even when playing single-player, and that it will include Denuvo DRM, a decision that has not been reversed despite the initial backlash.
With less than a month to go until Redfall’s launch, Twitter account Denuvo Alerts has shared that the game’s Steam page still includes a message that reads, “incorporates 3rd-party DRM: Denuvo anti-tamper.” The inclusion of DRM in games is controversial for a number of reasons. While it’s used to combat cheating, PC players, in particular, believe it severely affects performance in some instances, and the biggest issue in Redfall’s case, it requires a constant internet connection.
Arkane has since promised to try and walk back Redfall’s always online requirements, and it appeared to really mean what it said. No word on that just yet, but Denuvo DRM remaining in place this close to launch isn’t a promising sign that Arkane continues to try and find a way for Redfall players to be able to play the game without being connected to the internet. Of course, this is problematic for those who don’t have a strong broadband connection.
Redfall is coming out on May 2nd and will feature Denuvo anti-tamper pic.twitter.com/xGPVjNwnKo
— Denuvo Alerts (@DenuvoScum) April 9, 2023
As for why else DRM waters are tricky to navigate for studios, there’s a belief among many gamers that it actually hinders how well a game can run. The best evidence of that came via Resident Evil Village. The proof was posted shortly after it launched that a cracked version of the game was able to run more smoothly than the real thing. Village has since dropped its Denuvo DRM, long after launch which is commonplace for games that carry it, while the newly launched Resident Evil 4 Remake still has it.
Redfall’s mixed responses pre-launch extend beyond always online requirements and Denuvo DRM. The Xbox exclusive was also dragged into the arguments over whether the Activision Blizzard merger should be allowed to go ahead. At the height of PlayStation trying to convince everyone official who will listen that the deal is a bad idea, an Arkane dev claimed Redfall was originally going to launch on PS5 but when Xbox bought Bethesda, those plans were put on ice. Not a good look for Xbox as it was trying to convince the world it won’t take Call of Duty from PlayStation if the merger gets the go-ahead.
