Denuvo Sues Anonymous Game Cracker 'voices38' Over Alleged DRM Circumvention

Lawsuit Filed Against Anonymous Cracker

Denuvo, a developer of Anti-Tamper and Digital Rights Management (DRM) software, has initiated legal action against an anonymous game cracker known as "voices38." The lawsuit, filed on September 14 in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, claims that the defendant bypassed Denuvo's Anti-Tamper technology in at least 26 PC games.

Allegations and Legal Basis

Denuvo alleges that "voices38" is a computer hacker focused on reverse engineering and cracking video games that use Denuvo's Anti-Tamper product. The complaint states that the defendant removed protections that restrict access to copyrighted works, enabling pirated versions of these games. Titles named in the complaint include Hogwarts Legacy, Black Myth: Wukong, Resident Evil Requiem, and Doom: The Dark Ages.

Since Denuvo does not own the copyrights to these games, the lawsuit is based on the anti-circumvention provisions of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA). These provisions prohibit bypassing digital locks that control access to copyrighted material and distributing tools or instructions for such circumvention.

Identifying the Defendant

A notable aspect of the case is that Denuvo does not know the real identity of "voices38," referring to the defendant as "an unknown individual or entity" along with ten other unnamed defendants. The complaint references Reddit and Discord accounts, as well as Steam profiles, that Denuvo believes may be linked to the cracking activities. Denuvo may seek information from these platforms as the legal proceedings advance.

Impact on the Cracking Scene

"Voices38" has been active recently, with reports indicating a growing number of Denuvo-protected game cracks attributed to this anonymous individual. Recent releases include Star Wars: Outlaws, Persona 3 Reload, and Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown. This lawsuit could be a step for Denuvo in identifying one of the more active figures in the video game cracking community. The case is in its early stages, and Denuvo's allegations have not yet been tested in court.