There’s very little that could ruin DOOM: The Dark Ages. Bethesda has done an amazing job of hyping up the shooter, but Denuvo is always a problem for PC users.
DOOM: The Dark Ages completes the trifecta of the modern-day reboot trilogy. It’s the successor to 2020’s DOOM: Eternal, and there’s less emphasis on parkour and more on pounding on demons and delivering pain. The review embargo was lifted, and the game was showered with many amazing reviews.
One problem players had initially was early access not working, but that’s been fixed, and now we’re shifting gears to Denuvo.
Is Denuvo Used in DOOM: The Dark Ages?
DOOM: The Dark Ages does use Denuvo on PC.
Don’t shoot the messenger here, I’m sorry. But if you check out the official DOOM: The Dark Ages Steam page, you can clearly see the label on the right-hand column that states: “Incorporates 3rd-party DRM: Denuvo Anti-Tamper.”
Anything that has Denuvo sports this title on Steam. So if you’re looking forward to picking up The Dark Ages on Steam, be wary of the game incorporating the digital rights management method.
This doesn’t affect you if you’re on console.
What Does Denuvo do to DOOM: The Dark Ages?
Denuvo is an anti-piracy measure designed to stop people from illegally downloading games for free, but it means DOOM: The Dark Ages could suffer from performance issues, it makes accessing games more difficult, it makes modding tougher, and causes many other issues.
The list of potential issues Denuvo causes goes on and on. PC players generally dislike the practice, but developers and publishers often need to enforce the measure to prevent piracy.
It does mean DOOM: The Dark Ages could suffer issues as you play. Be it frame-rate stutters, graphical blemishes, and other associated issues.
Games have been known to remove Denuvo after initially implementing it—inZoi being a notable example. It’s unlikely DOOM goes down the same route, but we’ll update you if this changes.
As a PC player, does it put you off buying AAA titles when they come with Denuvo? Is there something else developers and publishers can do to prevent piracy without affecting the game? Let us know in the comments. Also, be sure to check out the Insider Gaming forum for more gaming chatter and topics.
For more DOOM, though, take a look at the complete The Dark Ages Trophy List.
Andy is Insider Gaming's Senior Evergreen Editor and has been in the games journalism sphere in one way or another for over 7 years. His video game taste is as…
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