Piracy
Ongoing coverage on Piracy.
Latest coverage
MMO Week in Review: Gorgon’s drama, TurtleWoW’s demise, Ashes’ docs
This week in the MMORPG genre saw significant drama and updates across various titles. Ashes of Creation's former boss released legal documents, Project Gorgon faced community backlash over bans, and TurtleWoW announced its closure following a lawsuit. Additionally, Book of Travels is transitioning to a solo offline game, while new content and updates arrived for games like Guild Wars 2, Final Fantasy XIV, and Elder Scrolls Online.
Game Leak Highlights Ongoing Emulation Security Battles
Recent game leaks running on emulators highlight the ongoing security battles within the gaming industry. These incidents demonstrate the increasing sophistication of emulation tools and the challenges publishers face in protecting their intellectual property through DRM and encryption. The article discusses the technical arms race between pirates and publishers, the impact of leaks on marketing and sales, and the industry's exploration of cloud gaming as a potential solution to piracy concerns.
The Outer Worlds and Assassin’s Creed: Black Flag share an unlikely lesson: we make our own pirates
This article draws a parallel between the fictional pirates in The Outer Worlds and historical pirates from Assassin's Creed: Black Flag, highlighting how mass layoffs and lack of economic opportunities can lead to individuals turning to piracy. It discusses how corporate practices, such as non-compete clauses and the refusal to rehire laid-off employees, can force individuals into desperate situations, mirroring historical patterns of privateers becoming pirates after conflicts ended.
Avatar: Aang animator lashes out at "incredibly disrespectful" fans choosing to pirate the leaked movie
An animator on the leaked Avatar: The Last Airbender movie, Julia Schoel, expressed frustration with fans pirating the film, calling it "incredibly disrespectful" to the artists' years of work. While acknowledging dissatisfaction with Paramount's decisions, she suggested that pirating after the official release would have been a more considerate option than immediate leak distribution.
No, cracked versions of Resident Evil Requiem aren't performing better than the official game — but there are…
Despite initial concerns, cracked versions of Resident Evil Requiem do not show noticeable performance differences compared to the official retail version. While Denuvo DRM has previously impacted game performance, there is currently no Denuvo-less version of Resident Evil Requiem available to definitively assess its impact. However, the game is generally well-optimized and does not appear to suffer from significant performance issues related to DRM.
Resident Evil Requiem Becomes First 2026 Game to Have Denuvo Cracked
Resident Evil Requiem has become the first major 2026 game to have its Denuvo DRM protection cracked, a significant event occurring just four months into the year. This incident highlights ongoing debates about the effectiveness and impact of Digital Rights Management on legitimate players, with the cracked version reportedly performing better than the paid one. The situation raises questions for Capcom and other publishers about the long-term viability of intrusive DRM strategies versus focusing on game value and player trust.
Windrose Early Access Release Date And Launch Times Confirmed
Windrose is launching into Early Access on April 14 for PC, with specific times confirmed across various regions. Developed by Windrose Crew, the game will be available for $30 and features naval combat, crew management, and survival elements in an alternate Age of Piracy. A Supporter Bundle including sea shanties by Seán Dagher is also available. The developers estimate up to two more years of development before the 1.0 release.
Co-op pirate survival game Windrose hits PC in early access on April 14
The co-op pirate survival game Windrose will launch in early access on PC via Steam, Epic Games Store, and Stove on April 14 for $30. Developed by Windrose Crew, the game features procedural generation with handcrafted points of interest, allowing players to sail solo or with friends, engage in ship combat, and explore a world with farming, fishing, crafting, and base building systems. The developers plan for an early access period of 1.5 to 2.5 years, aiming to add significant new content.
Viral pirate survival game Windrose has a release date, and it's very, very soon
The viral pirate survival game Windrose has announced its early access release date for April 14. The PvE survival adventure allows players to build bases, grow crews, and explore dungeons solo or with up to four friends. The game has gained significant traction, ranking high on Steam's Most Wishlisted chart.
Tickets go on sale for consumer event IGN Live 2026, returning to LA on 6 June
IGN Live 2026, a consumer event, will return to Los Angeles on June 6. The article also features a discussion among users about Sony's strategy regarding PC releases of its single-player games, weighing revenue against potential impacts on console sales and ecosystem engagement.
Morning Legal Briefs
The US Supreme Court has unanimously ruled that internet service providers like Cox Communications are not liable for their users' copyright infringement. This decision clarifies legal responsibility in cases of online piracy.
Death Stranding 2’s Complete PC Build Escapes Into the Wild Before Launch
The complete PC version of Death Stranding 2 has leaked online before its official launch, a significant breach for Kojima Productions. This incident highlights the ongoing challenges of game piracy and the impact of leaks on artistic intent and developer efforts. The leak raises concerns about spoilers and the potential division within the gaming community.
Death Stranding 2 PC Port Has Leaked, Is Being Pirated Ahead Of Release
The PC version of Sony and Kojima Productions' Death Stranding 2: On the Beach has reportedly been leaked and is being pirated prior to its official release. The leak suggests the game is already available for unauthorized download.
Death Stranding 2 PC Port Has Leaked, Is Being Pirated Ahead Of Release
The PC port for Death Stranding 2: On the Beach has reportedly leaked and is being pirated prior to its official release. Information regarding the PC version's system requirements, including hardware needs, upscaling technology, and widescreen support, has been revealed.
Pre-Release Version of Death Stranding 2 on PC Leaks Online, Seemingly via Steam - IGN
A pre-release version of Death Stranding 2: On the Beach has reportedly leaked online for PC, seemingly made available through Steam before its official launch. The pirated 113GB game has been uploaded to piracy sites, though some language packs are reportedly missing. Players accessing the pirated version will be unable to access the game's online features.
Steam build of Death Stranding 2 leaks two days ahead of launch
A pre-release version of Kojima Productions' Death Stranding 2 has leaked on Steam, making the 113GB game available for download on piracy websites two days before its official launch. The leak occurred due to unencrypted game files being mistakenly made available. The leaked build is reportedly missing Russian voiceovers.
Doom: The Dark Ages has had its controversial Denuvo DRM software compromised by pirates, making it the first 2025 release to be 'cracked'
Doom: The Dark Ages, published by Xbox Game Studios and developed by id Software, has had its Denuvo Digital Rights Management (DRM) software compromised by pirates. This marks the first game released in 2025 to have its DRM bypassed, highlighting ongoing concerns about Denuvo's impact on PC performance and player trust.
For The First Time, A Denuvo Game From 2025 Has Been Cracked By Pirates
For the first time, a game utilizing Denuvo anti-tamper protection, Doom: The Dark Ages, has been successfully cracked by pirates. This marks a significant development in the ongoing battle between DRM providers and piracy groups.
Slay The Spire 2 devs don't care about piracy but they hate microtransactions
Mega Crit, the developers of Slay the Spire 2, have expressed a relaxed attitude towards game piracy, stating they will not actively prevent it and even encourage learning from their decompiled code. However, the studio is vehemently against microtransactions, assuring players there will be no gacha or expensive cosmetic DLC. The game is currently in early access on Steam with plans for a console release.
French pirates adrift as major torrent site nuked by hacker who accuses it of hoarding user credit cards and DDoSing rivals: '6.6 million users. Years of lies. An empire built on extortion'
The major French private torrent tracker YggTorrent has been reportedly destroyed by a hacker named Gr0lum, who accused the site's owners of various illicit activities including DDoS attacks and hoarding user credit card information. Despite YggTorrent's claims of disinformation, the hacker's actions have led to the site's apparent demise, though its torrents have been dispersed to other trackers.
