Mortal Kombat 1 features Denuvo DRM

According to an update on the store page, Mortal Kombat 1 will be released on Steam with Denuvo DRM. The controversial anti-tamper software is intended to protect the game from piracy or, at the very least, restrict its distribution, although it is also associated with performance issues.

Denuvo was added to the store a few days ago without prior notice but was fortunately discovered by online fans. It appears that the game will not be released on PC without Denuvo. Therefore, individuals who have experienced difficulties running games that utilize Denuvo may need to reconsider the platform on which they wish to play.

One of the first places where this development was discovered, unsurprisingly, was r/CrackWatch - a subreddit that tracks game piracy. However, this will not only frustrate those who wish to distribute illegitimate copies of Mortal Kombat 1, as Denuvo DRM is known to cause significant performance issues, such as stuttering, longer loading times, and overall decreased frame rates. In other words, it is precisely what one would want to avoid in a fighting game that relies on precise button inputs and reactions.

The fact that Mortal Kombat 1 utilizes Denuvo is not too surprising. Not only is it quite common nowadays for major Steam releases, but it was also employed in Mortal Kombat 11, the latest installment in the series. Many games remove the DRM later in their lifecycle, but in the case of Mortal Kombat 11, it was abandoned only last year, so we may need to exercise some patience. Nevertheless, some players have reported having no issues with the previous game, suggesting that it may not impact performance as severely as in other PC releases.

Unfortunately, this is not the only concern that players have prior to the release of Mortal Kombat 1. It has also been confirmed that the game will feature microtransactions. This apparently involves purchasing a micro currency to acquire "skins, color palettes, equipment, and more" within the game. Admittedly, this approach does not resemble Mortal Kombat 11's approach too closely, but it is still an unpopular decision, to say the least. The fighting game genre has unfortunately become a means of excessive monetization in recent years, with even characters regularly being hidden behind DLCs before launch. In the case of Mortal Kombat 1, Shang Tsung is a pre-order bonus, and three returning fighters are included in the first DLC pack.

Considering this, we should not expect Denuvo to disappear in the foreseeable future, even if there is a massive backlash from the community. Complaints about the microtransactions in Mortal Kombat 11 were ultimately not sufficient to halt this practice.

Mortal Kombat 1 is scheduled to be released on September 19th. It will be available for PC, Xbox Series X/S, PS5, and Nintendo Switch.