Pearl Abyss added Denuvo to Crimson Desert a week before launch and fans aren't happy

With just a week to go before Crimson Desert launches on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series on March 19, Pearl Abyss released a launch trailer to build hype – but a far less welcome update quietly appeared on Steam at the same time.

According to the SteamDB changelog, the developers added Denuvo Anti-Tamper to the game, with an activation limit of no more than five different PCs per day.

Denuvo Anti-Tamper is software designed to protect games from piracy and cracking. Among players, though, it has a deeply controversial reputation. Critics argue that Denuvo negatively affects performance – dropping frame rates, causing stutters, and increasing load times.

Supporters counter that the performance impact is minimal or nonexistent. There's no consensus either way, but adding DRM just days before launch almost always draws a backlash.

The situation with Crimson Desert is no different. On the game's Steam page, a large discussion has broken out with players voicing frustration at Pearl Abyss. The timing is what stings most – slipping in DRM right before launch looks a lot like an attempt to avoid scrutiny before people hand over their money.