inZOI early access won't feature Denuvo DRM after all, 'we are committed to making inZOI a highly moddable game'

(Image credit: Krafton)

Upcoming life sim inZOI will no longer feature Denuvo Anti-Tamper DRM
The news follows growing concern from fans about its implementation
Critics argue that it can negatively impact performance and harm modding

Developer Inzoi Studio has confirmed that upcoming life simulation game inZOI will not feature the Denuvo Anti-Tamper digital rights management (DRM) system despite initial plans to include it.

The news comes after growing concern from fans that the software would negatively impact performance and hamper modding possibilities.

If you're out of the loop, Denuvo Anti-Tamper is a popular DRM system used by developers to help prevent game piracy and other forms of code manipulation. How it works is kept mostly under wraps, but some players argue that it can negatively impact game performance.

The company behind the software, Irdeto, argues that "there is no in-game performance impact caused by the addition of anti-tamper protection" and describes the concerns as an example of the "large amount of misinformation out there about anti-tamper technology".

Justified or not, the use of Denuvo remains a contentious issue in gaming, particularly in the case of inZOI. Lots of potential players are already worried about the game's performance given its relatively high system requirements.

Many of the most dedicated life sim fans also make extensive use of community made mods or add-ons, something that may have been prevented by the implementation of the DRM.

To DRM or not to DRM?

In a statement posted to Steam, inZOI producer and director Hyungjun 'Kjun' Kim noted the "growing concern around the implementation of the Denuvo Anti-Tamper solution" and stated that they "felt it was important to approach the issue with care."

They go on to say that, as a result of the community backlash, the company has "decided to remove Denuvo from the Early Access build of inZOI."

They also outline some of the reasons behind its planned inclusion: "we initially chose to implement Denuvo as a way to protect the game from illegal distribution. At the time, we believed this would help ensure fairness for players who had properly purchased the game."

"We understand that removing Denuvo increases the risk of the game being cracked and illegally distributed after release," Kjun continued. "At the same time, we believe it opens up a valuable opportunity: it allows inZOI to become more freely configurable—unlocking new ways for players to shape new experiences for other players."

The studio is fully "committed to making inZOI a highly moddable game" with the "first stage" of initial mod support launching in May. This, however, "is only the beginning" and will be expanded over time.

In removing Denuvo, the company hopes to, "foster an even more open environment for modders to create and share unique experiences for other players."

Kjun concludes the post by apologizing to the community and reaffirming a commitment to "putting players first" and "prioritize your feedback."

No matter which side of the Denuvo debate you fall on, it's easy to appreciate this level of transparency and goes to show just how closely the team is listening to players.

inZOI is launching for PC on March 28. A PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, and Xbox Series S release is set to follow at a later date.

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Dash is a technology journalist who covers gaming hardware at TechRadar. Before joining the TechRadar team, he was writing gaming articles for some of the UK's biggest magazines including PLAY, Edge, PC Gamer, and SFX. Now, when he's not getting his greasy little mitts on the newest hardware or gaming gadget, he can be found listening to J-pop or feverishly devouring the latest Nintendo Switch otome.