NieR: Automata by Square Enix Freed from Denuvo Protection in PC Game
In update Steam, released June 21 PlatinumGames uninstalled Denuvo Anti-Tamper from NIER: Automata .
Members Reddit first noticed the change SteamDB , a website that keeps track of updates and changes to Steam games.
The changelog that accompanies the update states that the NIER: Automata Removed third-party DRM - Denuvo Anti-Tamper earlier this morning.
Denuvo Anti-Tamper is a controversial topic for computer gamers. Denuvo is designed to delay game hacking and piracy, however the software is reported to have various disadvantages for gamers who have paid for legitimate copies of the game.
These shortcomings include the requirement that players have a stable internet connection in order to play games using Denuvo, even in fully single player games such as NieR: Automata, where an Internet connection would otherwise be unnecessary.
Players are also reporting that Denuvo Anti-Tamper makes PC games worse. During the investigation Extreme Tech reporter Joel Hruska stated that Denuvo "really hurts PC gaming performance".
Solution to remove Denuvo Anti-Tamper from NIER: Automata follows a number of similar solutions from other studios.
Earlier this month for Monster Hunter: World out patch eliminating Denuvo. Less than a week later, Mass Effect Legendary Edition also received an update that removed Denuvo from the game's files, reducing the game's overall size by about 1 GB.