The much-anticipated Sid Meier’s Civilization VII is set to launch in February 2025, and while many in the gaming community are eagerly awaiting the latest addition to the iconic strategy series by Firaxis Games, there’s a significant point of contention—Denuvo. The controversial anti-piracy system will be included with the PC version of the game, and many players are already voicing their displeasure.

In recent hours, it was revealed through Reddit and the Civilization VII Steam page that the upcoming 4X strategy title will feature Denuvo, a widely debated anti-piracy measure known for negatively impacting game performance. Although some players were relieved to hear that the requirement for the 2K Launcher on PC was being removed, the addition of Denuvo has sparked a new wave of frustration among the fanbase.

One Reddit user lamented, “Hopefully the community can convince them to remove it before launch. Adding these kinds of DRM protections only punishes those who buy legitimately,” a sentiment that has garnered over 2,000 upvotes. Another player questioned, “I honestly don’t think they have a problem with piracy either considering the sales numbers and the value of Steam integration.” The impact of Denuvo on Civilization VII remains to be seen, but the backlash is already evident.

Why Does Denuvo Cause Issues for Gamers?

The controversy around Denuvo stems from its method of preventing piracy. The system constantly checks to ensure the game being played hasn’t been illegally obtained, consuming valuable CPU and memory resources in the process. This often leads to reduced FPS, stuttering, or instability during gameplay. Despite Denuvo’s claims that its technology does not affect game performance, the gaming community remains skeptical, with many pointing to past experiences where games suffered noticeable slowdowns due to the software.

Source: Reddit