Denuvo Protection Bypassed: Three Major Games Cracked Using New Method
A new method for bypassing Denuvo anti-tamper protection has reportedly been used to crack three major games: F1 Manager 2022, Judgment: Lost Memories, and Final Fantasy XV. The technique involves using a virtual machine monitor to circumvent the protection system, allowing the games to run on both AMD and Intel processors. This development raises questions about the continued effectiveness of Denuvo, one of the gaming industry’s most widely used anti-piracy solutions. The cracking method appears to be versatile enough to work across different game engines and genres.
F1 Manager 2022 allows players to take control of a Formula 1 racing team, managing all aspects from race weekends to between-race periods. Players act as team principals with responsibilities including selecting drivers and engineers, developing and upgrading cars, managing budgets, and overseeing personnel development. The game emphasizes strategic resource allocation and personnel decisions as keys to long-term success. This comprehensive management simulation offers fans an in-depth look at the business and competitive aspects of Formula 1 racing.
Judgment: Lost Memories is a dark action game created by the developers behind the Yakuza series, following disgraced lawyer Takayuki Yagami as he investigates a series of murders while dealing with various personal issues. The game had previously been cracked by Empress. Final Fantasy XV features an open, nearly seamless world where players can freely explore without frequent loading screens, with real-time combat occurring directly in the open world against enemies and monsters. Interestingly, Final Fantasy XV was cracked before its official March 2018 release through an unprotected benchmark demo leak.
The historical precedent for Final Fantasy XV’s early crack involved hackers extracting game files from an unprotected benchmark demo, bypassing Denuvo protection 3-4 days before the official release. This new virtual machine monitor method represents another approach to circumventing the protection system. The article raises the question of whether Denuvo protection has become ineffective and whether game publishers should continue using it. While the technical details suggest vulnerabilities exist, the broader implications for anti-piracy measures in the gaming industry remain uncertain.
