What you need to know
- Payday 3 players on PC are getting a welcome pre-launch update with the news Denuvo Anti-Tamper has been removed from the game.
- The controversial software draws ire from PC gamers because of its apparent ability to degrade performance.
- Payday 3 releases on September 21, with early access for those who purchased the privilege beginning on September 18.
It's always a good day when a developer releases an update that's going to make gamers happy, and that's exactly what's happened here with upcoming release, Payday 3.
A couple of months back it became known that Payday 3 would utilize Denuvo Anti-Tamper, and as expected, it didn't go down well. But all is forgiven with a simple message from the developer before the game goes live.
"Hello heisters,
We want to inform you that Denuvo is no longer in PAYDAY 3.
We look forward to seeing you in New York City!
Happy heisting!
SBZ_Almir"
Most games available through Steam, or other non-GOG storefronts, have some form of DRM involved. You're not actually buying the game anymore, more so a license to play that game on that platform. GOG is the notable exception, offering a number of games with no form of DRM at all.
Denuvo Anti-Tamper is a little worse than DRM, though, and has been known to degrade performance in games it's applied to. Which makes it a boogeyman among PC gamers. Our own Brendan Lowry explained it perfectly when discussing whether Starfield had Denuvo or not.
"While most forms of DRM are considered fine by most gamers, one that often draws a lot of ire is Denuvo Anti-Tamper. This third-party software uses file encryption and other techniques, such as more aggressive account checks and an internet connection requirement, to both strongly safeguard from piracy and to make it harder for cheat developers to create hacks that give you an unfair advantage in multiplayer gameplay. It also detects and reports instances of cheating to a game's developers.
While Denuvo seems harmless on the surface, there are several reasons why it's often frowned upon by players. Firstly, players fear that if Denuvo's authentication servers went down, they would be unable to access any games that use the software until it's patched out by their developers. Also, Denuvo is often blamed for long load times and performance issues, and there's at least some evidence of a correlation with certain implementations (Resident Evil Village, for example). Notably, TEKKEN 7 Director Katsuhiro Harada publicly stated that it caused a problem with the PC version of that game in 2018. "
So, Payday 3 just got a very welcome pre-launch boost. Players can go forth and heist their brains out, safe in the knowledge that Denuvo won't be spoiling their time.
Payday 3 launches on September 21, preceded by an early access period beginning September 18 for those who purchased the premium editions. It'll also be available on Xbox Game Pass from September 21.
