2Dark Removes Denuvo DRM From Their Game

Indie game 2Dark has removed Denuvo DRM from the application after a lot of fan backlash against the incredibly unpopular Digital Rights solution.


Published: April 19, 2017 6:15 PM /

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SCreenshot from 2Dark showing several pixel-based character walking around a grubby house from a top-down perspective.

The indie stealth adventure game 2Dark has removed the Denuvo DRM from their game following a deluge of complaints according to a statement from publisher Bigben Interactive released on the game's Steam community discussion board.


2Dark is a game where players take on the role of former detective Mr. Smith. A rash of child abductions has broken out in the city of Gloomywood, and Mr. Smith has set out to do something about it. Players will work their way through the levels of the game trying to rescue children from the bad guys without being discovered. Alongside this challenge, players must manage their resources carefully - you only have so many batteries and bullets to accomplish the task at hand, and running out of either is going to severely dampen your chances of making it out alive.

The game was the product of a crowdfunding campaign on Ulule, a European-centric crowdfunding site. It raised $37,284 which was  113% of its original goal of $32,967. One of the promises included in the original campaign was that it would not have any DRM; however, the company reversed that stance shortly before release. Developer Gloomywood had stated that taking on Denuvo DRM was the idea of their publisher Bigben Interactive. In a statement to TechRaptor, Bigben Interactive said that "[Denuvo DRM] has proven useful against piracy". They further emphasized the importance of protecting the intellectual property of developers under their umbrella.

Understandably, some people (including backers of the original campaign) were upset about the inclusion of DRM in the game following its crowdfunding campaign. The publisher has since reversed their stance on the usage of Denuvo for 2Dark:

Statement about the use of Denuvo (updated)

Hello everyone,

Based on recent events and the sheer amount of community feedback we received regarding 2Dark’s use of Denuvo, we have now taken the decision to remove Denuvo from 2Dark.

At the time of this message, we have released a small update to the game which removes Denuvo, allowing you to play Denuvo-free.

We want to thank all of you who provided your feedback.

Although an update was pushed to 2Dark to remove the third-party DRM, some users have reported that the game is failing to launch after the update. We have not yet been able to independently verify these claims. In any case, the DRM solution was recently rendered somewhat impotent - the latest version of Denuvo was cracked a few days ago on 2Dark itself.


Quick Take

Although using Denuvo in the first place probably wasn't the best idea, all credit to Bigben Interactive for responding to complaints from the community and removing it from the game. Steam's DRM is sufficient enough as it is, and in my opinion, DRM is a losing battle. If someone wants to pirate your game, they're gonna be able to pirate your game. You're going to (at most) stall them for a few days or weeks and piss off your customers at the same time. It's just not worth it.


What do you think of Denuvo DRM? Do you think that Bigben Interactive made the right choice in removing it from Gloomywood's 2Dark after complaints from customers and the general public? Do you think that DRM is a worthwhile investment for publishers & developers or is it a waste of money? Let us know in the comments below!

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A photograph of TechRaptor Senior Writer Robert N. Adams.
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One of my earliest memories is playing Super Mario Bros. on the Nintendo Entertainment System. I've had a controller in my hand since I was 4 and I… More about Robert N