Doom Eternal to remove Denuvo Anti-Cheat on PC

Doom Slayer in Doom Eternal
Doom Slayer in Doom Eternal (Image credit: Bethesda)

What you need to know

  • Doom Eternal launched on March 20.
  • The title is a first-person shooter with plenty of gore.
  • It's getting a new update that removes Denuvo Anti-Cheat.
  • You can purchase Doom Eternal for $60 on the Microsoft Store.

Doom Eternal is a first-person shooter that continues the story of the reboot. It looks absolutely spectacular on Xbox One X and should provide plenty of single-player and multiplayer enjoyment. In addition to Xbox One, Doom Eternal is available on PC, PlayStation 4, and Google Stadia.

Today, id Software announced that it was removing Denuvo Anti-Cheat in Update 1. The team said the following on Reddit.

Despite our best intentions, feedback from players has made it clear that we must reevaluate our approach to anti-cheat integration. With that, we will be removing the anti-cheat technology from the game in our next PC update. As we examine any future of anti-cheat in Doom Eternal, at a minimum we must consider giving campaign-only players the ability to play without anti-cheat software installed, as well as ensure the overall timing of any anti-cheat integration better aligns with player expectations around clear initiatives – like ranked or competitive play – where demand for anti-cheat is far greater. It is important to note that our decision to include anti-cheat was guided by nothing other than the factors and goals I've outlined above – all driven by our team at id Software. I have seen speculation online that Bethesda is forcing these or other decisions on us, and it's simply untrue. It's also worth noting that our decision to remove the anti-cheat software is not based on the quality of the Denuvo Anti-Cheat solution. Many have unfortunately related the performance and stability issues introduced in Update 1 to the introduction of anti-cheat. They are not related.

It's unclear what the new anti-cheat solution will be. We'll keep you posted as soon as we know more.

Do you play Doom Eternal on PC? Have you had issues with Denuvo Anti-Cheat? Let us know. The cheating issue appears to be less severe on consoles, so if you own an Xbox One or PlayStation 4, you can always play the game there if you prefer.

Related: Our full DOOM Eternal Xbox One review

Asher Madan

Asher Madan handles gaming news for Windows Central. Before joining Windows Central in 2017, Asher worked for a number of different gaming outlets. He has a background in medical science and is passionate about all forms of entertainment, cooking, and antiquing.