IO Interactive Adds Denuvo to 007 First Light 6 Days Before Release as Buyers Cancel Pre-orders
Updated
Updated · Notebookcheck.net · May 21
IO Interactive Adds Denuvo to 007 First Light 6 Days Before Release as Buyers Cancel Pre-orders
4 articles · Updated · Notebookcheck.net · May 21
Six days before launch, Steam added a Denuvo DRM notice to 007 First Light, triggering backlash and fresh pre-order cancellations for IO Interactive’s James Bond game.
Buyers on Reddit and Steam forums said the late disclosure was the bigger issue, with some calling it “scummy” after pre-orders had been open since September 2025.
Denuvo is meant to curb piracy, but critics say it can hurt long-term access through server checks and may affect PC performance, concerns sharpened by the game’s already demanding system requirements.
The dispute adds to pressure on Valve to require DRM disclosures before pre-orders, echoing similar complaints over late notices for generative-AI content in Steam releases.
The timing also fuels doubts about Denuvo’s value: recent games have still been cracked, sometimes without the Windows-security workaround tied to the newer hypervisor bypass.
Will Valve force publishers to reveal controversial DRM before they accept pre-order payments from gamers?
With DRM now cracked in hours, why do game publishers still risk fan fury for temporary protection?