Resident Evil Requiem performance boosted by Denuvo crack, as piracy threatens DRM

Denuvo has safeguarded many popular games from piracy. However, Irdeto’s Digital Rights Management (DRM) software has become vulnerable. Just over 5 weeks after the Resident Evil Requiem release date, a cracked version of the survival horror sensation surfaced. A performance analysis also backs up claims that the anti-tamper measure throttles performance.

Denuvo cracks are coming in rapid succession

What’s notable about the recent victory for DRM opponents is how fast it was achieved. It often takes months or years to defeat Denuvo, with some older games remaining elusive. A Tom’s Hardware article discusses how hacker voices38 has gradually sped up the process.

The cracker rose to prominence by 2025, distributing playable versions of formerly protected titles. Reportedly, voices38 has developed a toolkit and an approach that works with many targets. Unless Irdeto counters, other newer releases like RE9 may become susceptible to piracy.

Another problem for the cybersecurity company is the hypervisor bypass. This method doesn’t remove lines of code. Instead, a virtualization layer fools titles into believing a machine has the rights to play the game. While it has boosted the piracy scene, gamers must change Windows security settings, potentially exposing themselves to attacks.

There are signs that the hypervisor bypass will become easier to implement and less risky. Regardless, it doesn’t address complaints about Denuvo’s impact on frame rates. In some cases, the protection stresses CPUs or consumes more resources. YouTuber ChillyWillMD illustrated this by measuring Resident Evil Requiem performance without the DRM.

How much does DRM limit RE9 frame rates?

As shown in the video, the version without Denuvo saw 5% higher FPS. When stacked side by side with the hypervisor alternative, the PC used up to 1GB less system memory. In some scenes, the cracked release freed 2GB of VRAM from the GPU, leaving more room for taxing path tracing effects.

The difference may not be dramatic for systems less prone to CPU bottlenecks. Capcom also likely isn’t panicking, since Resident Evil Requiem release date sales were strong. Nevertheless, the industry could soon see similar hacks emerge closer to retail launches.