Developer Pearl Abyss updated the Steam page for Crimson Desert to include Denuvo DRM on March 12, just days before the game's March 19 launch. The change has sparked backlash among PC players concerned about potential performance issues. The game has already surpassed 3 million wishlists.
Pearl Abyss, the developer of Crimson Desert, made a last-minute addition of Denuvo DRM to the game's Steam release. According to SteamDB, the update appeared on the Steam page on March 12, with the news breaking around March 16, only three days prior to the scheduled launch on March 19. This triple-A title had garnered over 3 million wishlists earlier in the month, building significant anticipation among players. However, the DRM inclusion has divided the PC community on Steam forums, subreddit discussions, and social media. Some users expressed frustration over the lack of prior notice, with one stating, 'It's scummy they didn't tell anyone,' and predicting performance problems. Another remarked that such comments might be 'downvoted' by the developer's 'fanboys' despite 'speaking facts.' A potential buyer admitted, 'Yeah, it was expected to happen, which really sucks.' Calls have emerged to cancel preorders, with some opting for console versions instead. Players have also discussed waiting for cracks to mitigate Denuvo's impact, despite being legitimate customers. The article notes that most modern triple-A PC releases employ Denuvo, which has effectively protected games from piracy. No performance benchmarks for Crimson Desert's final PC build are available yet, leaving concerns unverified. It remains unclear if the Epic Games Store version will include Denuvo.
