Lies of Phas Denuvo DRM, with developer NEOWIZ waiting until the last possible moment to put the warning on itsSteampage. According toSteamDB, Denuvo Anti-tamper was added to thePCrelease on September 15 - the same day the game went live for anyone who purchased the Deluxe Edition.

This also comes just days before Lies of P’s full launch, set for September 19. It means that anyone who pre-ordered the game on the assumption that it wouldn’t use the controversial DRM has very little time, if any, to seek a refund and buy the game on another platform.

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This development was spotted byExputer, noticing that the addition of Denuvo was made alongside Lies of P going live for anyone who pre-ordered the Deluxe Edition of the game. The move was made quietly, with no public announcement that we can find.

Denuvo DRM is a tool used by developers to make it harder for pirates to crack their games, and therefore, distribute illegal copies. However, it has long been controversial in the PC gaming scene, as it is often linked to performance issues, even on higher-end set-ups. Because of this, a game released with Denuvo is usually met with backlash, although this is typically announced before launch, not when the game is already live.

Just earlier this week,Payday 3 removed its DRM following backlash from the community. Ironically, this removal came just days ahead of its launch, as opposed to adding it without any time for fans to react. While the developer didn’t explain why it removed Denuvo, it certainly seems that it was fearful some fans would skip the game if it was there on launch day.

Most fans don’t appear to have noticed the update to Lies of P’s Steam page just yet, but those that have certainly aren’t happy. They’re calling on the devs to remove Denuvo post-launch, as some games have been known to do, admittedly long after its initial release window. This can range from months to years after launch, so we probably won’t get that update anytime soon, if at all.

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