Denuvo adds watermarking to help developers trace leakers

Denuvo developer Irdeto has announced a watermarking feature for its anti-piracy software which will make it easier for developers to track down the source of leaks.

The product, called TraceMark for Games, was announced at GDC yesterday. TraceMark can be used to mark builds of games both with visible or invisible watermarks, each with a unique ID which can then be traced back to the source.

It's intended to be used during the pre-release phase of game development, such as internal builds, closed betas, or review copies. Being able to trace down sources of leaked content "makes potential leakers think twice", Irdeto said in a press release.

TraceMark can be used with Denuvo's Anti-Tamper software, which Irdeto said will allow developers to "control distribution of pre-release content".

"This innovative solution not only marks a significant milestone for Irdeto but also represents a leap forward in protecting the creative and financial investments of game developers worldwide," senior vice president of Irdeto Niels Haverkorn said in a statement. "At Irdeto, we understand the unique challenges faced by the gaming community, and TraceMark is our commitment to ensuring that these valuable assets are safeguarded throughout their lifecycle," he added.

Denuvo has been controversial thanks to its tendency to affect performance of games on PC. Memorably, Resident Evil Village came under fire in 2021 after the pirated, DRM-free "cracked" version of the game performed better than the official version.

Easy Anti-Cheat, another suite of game protection software, was the source of player concerns yesterday following the Apex Legends Global Series finals hack. Following suggestions the hackers managed to access the players' games through Easy Anti-Cheat, the company made its first post on X in five years to state it was "confident that there is no [remote code execution] vulnerability within EAC".