Highlights
- Payday 3 developers have removed the controversial Denuvo feature, a move that has been well-received by the game's community.
- Some fans expressed concerns about Denuvo penalizing legitimate paying customers and praised the developers for recognizing its drawbacks.
- However, there are still lingering concerns, with fans urging the removal of the game's always-online requirement as the next step for improvement.
In a significant development, the developers of the highly anticipated Payday 3 have made an announcement regarding the removal of the controversial Denuvo feature, which is one of the less favored anti-tamper technologies in the gaming industry. With this change, Payday 3 is taking a notable step toward a potentially more harmonious release, with a focus on delivering an experience that aligns better with the preferences of its dedicated player community.
Payday 3, the highly anticipated sequel to 2013's Payday 2, reunites players with the popular heisters from the previous installment. This time, the action unfolds in a modernized rendition of New York, promising fresh heists and robberies across the city. While a substantial fan base eagerly anticipates every morsel of news surrounding the game, not all announcements regarding Payday 3 have been met with unanimous enthusiasm. For instance, the revelation that the game will require an always-online connection even for solo players has left many fans disheartened.
Additionally, last month, both Deep Silver and Starbreeze confirmed that Payday 3 would incorporate Denuvo, a prominent anti-piracy (DRM) solution that many developers integrate into their games. This DRM solution has gained notoriety in the gaming industry over recent years, primarily for its effectiveness in delaying piracy, often for extended periods. From a business perspective, the benefits of Denuvo are clear. However, there have been concerns about Denuvo potentially impacting game performance, although the company responsible for it refutes these claims. Yet, in a recent turn of events, on September 15th, the official Payday 3 account updated with the announcement that they had removed Denuvo.
The decision to remove Denuvo from Payday 3 was met with a largely positive response from the game's community. One user noted that Denuvo often penalizes legitimate paying customers and expressed a willingness to support alternative anti-piracy measures if they were less disruptive. Another user praised the development team for recognizing the drawbacks of Denuvo, both for the players and potentially for the game's performance metrics. Yet, amidst this appreciation, some still voiced other concerns, with a user pointing out the game's always-online requirement, suggesting its removal as the next step.
While only time will unveil the future steps the Payday 3 developers will take to enhance the game, it's noteworthy that the game is poised for substantial improvements, as evident from its recently revealed content roadmap. This roadmap for Payday 3 outlines the release of four major DLC expansions within the year following the game's launch.
Payday 3 releases on September 21 for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S.
