Crimson Desert confirmed to use Denuvo at launch

The controversial DRM was revealed via an update to the game's Steam page, sparking frustration among players and raising fresh concerns about performance.
Text: Marcus Persson
Published 2026-03-12

Well here's an update just about no PC gamer will enjoy. Crimson Desert, one of this year's most anticipated games, will use Denuvo when it is released next week. The information comes from Steam, which has just updated the game's store page, confirming that the title will use the controversial copy protection.

The team behind Crimson Desert has previously mentioned that the game is relatively well optimised on PC, but throwing Denuvo into the mix is cause for some concern, to say the least. And to no one's surprise, several angry PC gamers are now making their voices heard online.

"So scummy. If they planned on adding Denuvo from the start, they purposefully hid it from the public. If they didn't plan from the start, the performance will tank, because there's no way you can integrate Denuvo in a week's time."

And that is also the major question. DID they plan to use Denuvo all along but chose to hide it, or is it something that's been added just now? Either way, it sure does not bode well.

Will you be playing Crimson Desert on PC, and if so, what do you think about the news that Denuvo will be used?

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