If a game has already been cracked on PC, why do they insist on forcing DRM and anti-cheat systems on it?

Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls has had performance issues since its release. A new development has made the situation even more embarrassing for the game’s publisher, Sony, and developer, Arc System Works. According to reports, a cracked, DRM-free version of the game runs significantly more smoothly than the official version. Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls was released on August 6 for PlayStation 5 and PC and quickly jumped to the top of Steam’s bestseller list. However, this initial momentum did not translate into a positive reception; the game’s Steam user reviews quickly dropped to a “Mixed” rating. Currently, only 47% of the game’s Steam reviews are positive, and this percentage has not changed since the game’s release.

Players’ complaints have primarily focused on technical issues specific to the PC version, such as fluctuating frame rates, minor stuttering, crashes, incorrect graphics settings, and problematic online network code resulting in rollback spikes—even on systems that far exceed the developer’s recommended requirements. The PC version requires a PlayStation Network account for online play. This decision is comparable to the 2024 Helldivers 2 PSN controversy, but this time, Sony has made it non-negotiable. Due to this requirement, the game was blocked in more than 130 countries at launch, preventing players from purchasing it on Steam, even though the online requirement did not affect Story or Arcade modes. Steam Deck and Linux users fared even worse; due to the anti-cheat system, they cannot launch the game. The PlayStation 5 version largely avoided these issues, fueling speculation that PC-specific software, likely some form of digital rights management (DRM) or anti-cheat system, is behind the performance discrepancy.

According to CrackWatch, a website that tracks piracy, Marvel vs. Capcom 3 was cracked just 11 days after its release when pirates successfully bypassed the game’s digital rights management (DRM) protection. This further heightened the tension surrounding the already controversial release. Players who tried the cracked version reported that its performance was dramatically better than that of the Steam version. A Reddit user stated that, although the game had significant performance issues during the open beta, the cracked version ran smoothly at 60 FPS with the highest quality settings and did not require preloading shaders, which is an essential step for the stable operation of the retail version. The user noted some stuttering during super moves and in the menus but otherwise described the improvement as significant.

Other users have reported similar experiences on the ResetEra forum and on social media. On Twitter, JustinSGX reported that the cracked version utilized approximately 34% of his Intel i7-6700K CPU compared to the commercial version’s 57% utilization on the same hardware. Other players have pointed out similar striking comparisons. They noted that a certain unofficial version runs flawlessly at 60 FPS on their computers or achieves a rock-solid 60 FPS on medium settings. Meanwhile, CPU and GPU utilization hovers around 40–50%. In contrast, the commercially available version stutters at around 45 FPS, even at GBA resolution.

The most likely cause is the game’s anti-cheat software, Easy Anti-Cheat, along with background processes related to the Sony PlayStation Network SDK integration. Removing the DRM appears to disable some of these additional background systems, which several users believe contribute significantly to the game’s poor optimization. However, one Reddit user warned that, although the performance of the cracked version is clearly better, other background processes can still degrade performance even when the DRM layer is inactive because Marvel Tōkon reportedly runs multiple PlayStation-related software instances in addition to its anti-cheat protection.

Arc System Works has publicly acknowledged the ongoing performance issues, although a definitive solution has not yet been found. In response to the negative feedback received during the game’s open beta and after its full release, Arc System Works stated that it is aware some PC players are experiencing performance issues. The team is actively investigating these reports. Despite these assurances, the latest user reviews on Steam suggest that the issues have not improved significantly since launch. The “Mixed” rating has remained unchanged, even after thousands of additional reviews in the days following the release.

While removing DRM to improve performance is not unheard of, publishers typically wait months or years before doing so, if they decide to remove it at all. In fact, several publishers (Square Enix, Ubisoft, Electronic Arts, etc.) leave Denuvo in their games even after seven or eight years.

Source: WCCFTech (https://wccftech.com/marvel-tokon-pirated-build-60fps-drm-anti-cheat-steam-performance/), Steam (https://store.steampowered.com/app/3787240/MARVEL_Tokon_Fighting_Souls/)