Recently, a hypervisor bypass method for DRM protection systems such as Denuvo has emerged, providing a new way for game crackers to break through. This bypass technique is so effective that well-known game repackager FitGirl claimed that "all single-player and non-VR Denuvo games have now been cracked or bypassed."
The announcement comes after the release of four hypervisor bypass tools for EA Sports games. It is reported that the hypervisor bypass technique relies on installing new hypervisor drivers at the Ring -1 level to gain extremely low-level system access, which raises serious security concerns.
The emergence of this general Denuvo bypass method prompted Denuvo to implement new countermeasures. Based on recent reports from online players, Denuvo has required regular DRM online server verification every two weeks. This update verification mechanism has been applied to games published by 2K, including NBA 2K25, NBA 2K26 and "Marvel's Midnight Sons". Irdeto, the parent company of Denuvo, also issued a statement on the issue, saying, "We have begun developing updated security versions of games affected by hypervisor bypasses. For players, performance will not be affected by these enhanced security measures." It is worth noting that Denuvo also stated that any response plan to be released will not operate at the Ring -1 level, which is different from previous speculation by the outside world.
Denuvo's response is significant because the DRM software has been criticized for causing game performance degradation, especially when running on low-end hardware. Game studios also have a habit of adding Denuvo protection at the last minute before a game is released, often catching pre-order players off guard with changes that may impact performance. In addition to the performance controversy, game ownership and preservation issues have also led to discussions. If Denuvo's DRM server goes offline at the end of the game's life cycle, game preservation will not be possible.