id Software has just announced that a new update for Doom Eternal will remove the Denuvo anti-cheat system. The Denuvo anti-cheat system used a kernel-mode driver that aims to protect BATTLEMODE. However, and after a huge backlash, id Software has decided to remove it.
We're currently working on PC only Update 1.1 for DOOM Eternal that will remove Denuvo anti-cheat and address a number of crashes. https://t.co/EpiK3URxvn
— id Software (@idSoftware) May 20, 2020
I’m certain that a lot of Doom Eternal fans will be happy with this decision. After all, the game has been review bombed after the inclusion of the Denuvo anti-cheat system.
As Marty Stratton, Executive Producer of DOOM Eternal, said:
“Despite our best intentions, feedback from players has made it clear that we must re-evaluate our approach to anti-cheat integration. With that, we will be removing the anti-cheat technology from the game in our next PC update. As we examine any future of anti-cheat in DOOM Eternal, at a minimum we must consider giving campaign-only players the ability to play without anti-cheat software installed, as well as ensure the overall timing of any anti-cheat integration better aligns with player expectations around clear initiatives – like ranked or competitive play – where demand for anti-cheat is far greater.
Stratton also added that the Denuvo anti-cheat system did not cause any performance or crash issues. Stratton also claimed that Bethesda did not force id Software to include this anti-cheat in Doom Eternal.
“I have seen speculation online that Bethesda (our parent company and publisher) is forcing these or other decisions on us, and it’s simply untrue. It’s also worth noting that our decision to remove the anti-cheat software is not based on the quality of the Denuvo Anti-Cheat solution. Many have unfortunately related the performance and stability issues introduced in Update 1 to the introduction of anti-cheat. They are not related.”

John is the founder and Editor in Chief at DSOGaming. He is a PC gaming fan and highly supports the modding and indie communities. Before creating DSOGaming, John worked on numerous gaming websites. While he is a die-hard PC gamer, his gaming roots can be found on consoles. John loved – and still does – the 16-bit consoles, and considers SNES to be one of the best consoles. Still, the PC platform won him over consoles. That was mainly due to 3DFX and its iconic dedicated 3D accelerator graphics card, Voodoo 2. John has also written a higher degree thesis on the “The Evolution of PC graphics cards.”
Contact: Email
“Many have unfortunately related the performance and stability issues
introduced in Update 1 to the introduction of anti-cheat. They are not
related.”
lol. Sure..
What ? Where did u even got that from ? You are the one that misread.
“I have seen speculation online that Bethesda (our parent company and publisher) is forcing these or other decisions on us, and it’s simply untrue. It’s also worth noting that our decision to remove the anti-cheat software is not based on the quality of the Denuvo Anti-Cheat solution. Many have unfortunately related the performance and stability issues introduced in Update 1 to the introduction of anti-cheat. They are not related.”
Blink twice if you are held hostage Marty
I don’t like the way he’s taking everything on id Soft because they’re considered the “good guys” so people can easily forgive them, it’s literally defending Bethesda which is just wrong, we all know that Bethesda is behind nearly every bad move surrounding Doom (Battlemode, visual design choices, skins, anticheat…) if they keep doing this, the studio will just end up being part of the problem, they’re the ones that have a lot to lose, not Bethesda
Welp, i’ll wait a year-ish so they release the final version without anything related to Denuvo
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/aa0a48214aa5989b28a45a78fc9f885a8977a72e0c5c778cf08856b5babaffe8.jpg
One part of cancer removed, now for the other one…
Right, what about that terrible, invasive Denuvo DRM? Give us a GOG version now.
Good !!!
Good stuff. I’ll be happy if I can play the single player without any anti cheat software needing to be installed, but we need to make it clear to developers that Ring 0 permissions are a deal breaker no matter what.
meanwhile ubisoft “everything you make is ours, and we can ban you at any time”
Smart Idiots.
I don’t understand what everyone has against anti-cheat.
Same thing that they have with anti-piracy: it doesnt affect those that it targets, and only causes problems for normal users.
I don’t think that analogy works here. Anti-cheat definitely prevents cheaters from cheating. But the security risk and privacy cost it imposes is not at all worth it.
You mean like Valorant’s rootkit based anticheat prevented cheaters?
If you look at the amount of cheaters in the game after the anti-cheat system was fully implemented (after the beta had been going for a while), yes it actually did prevent cheaters.
Much like many other, quite intrusive, anti-cheat software like EasyAntiCheat (Halo MCC) and BattleEye.
In the vast majority of cases, anti-cheat software does dramatically reduce the number of cheaters but it seems that the most effective anti-cheat solutions also come with the most intrusive costs.
It prevented some cheaters, it didn’t others. I’m not against anti-cheat, just intrusive crap that doesn’t even guarantee you will have a game free of the vermin.
Kernel level anti-cheat is a serious risk for your computer’s security, it’s common knowledge
Anti-cheat isn’t the issue per se. It’s that this specific anti-cheat has kernel level drivers which is providing way way too much access to any non-essential process. Denuvo’s anti-cheat is not only a huge security liability but it’s just a downright lazy solution.
no one wants to deal with cheaters, but there are valid reasons for being against specific anti-cheat programs if they are intrusive and/ or have negative performance impacts
Is not the anti-cheat itself, is the implementation of it.
Unfortunately the denuvo cancer will still be there
Freaking unbelievable, I feel sorry for id Software for being under ZeniMax they sure make odd / bad decisions with their games. Too bad id was not independent.
On a positive note this is pretty cool that they actually reverted it cause honestly I thought they would never have bothered(that is ZeniMax). Maybe there is hope for the company… well regardless I am very thankful for the change cause I think Doom Eternal is freaking awesome and I really enjoy it.
lol. You feel “sorry” for Bethesda?
They’re still scumbags. They had to do this in order to not look even worse than they ALREADY do.
A dev taking positive action in direct response to independent consumer feedback posted on Steam and thereby giving the paying customer what it wants? The Leftist anti-consumer ‘journalists’ in the access/shill media won’t like that!
They nearly did nothing to report the problem with the anti-cheat, if it was about gender equality they’ll write a sh*tload of articles
Can they just put other anti cheat program thats not denuvo product?
Good, I guess I can play the game again.