Company of Heroes 3 Finally Kicked Denuvo to the Curb, and It Only Took Three Years

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Written By NLM Team

It seems Relic Entertainment has finally decided that we can be trusted with their executable file without a digital babysitter watching our every move.

It is a Thanksgiving miracle, or maybe just a contract expiring. Relic Entertainment has officially removed the controversial Denuvo anti-tamper tech from Company of Heroes 3 as of November 27.

The game launched back in February 2023. That means for nearly three long years, legitimate buyers have been dealing with the background hum of DRM while the pirates probably moved on ages ago. It is a massive win for game preservation and, potentially, for performance.

The Slowest Breakup in History

I have to applaud Relic for finally pressing the delete button, but let's be real about the timeline here. Three years is an eternity in the gaming world.

Most publishers usually strip this stuff out after the initial sales window closes or once all the DLC is out the door. Holding onto it for this long feels like paranoia. But I suppose we should just be happy it is gone.

This brings the game in line with other recent converts to the "DRM-free" lifestyle. We have seen a wave of developers waking up to reality lately.

Following the Trend

Relic isn't the only one cleaning house. Square Enix finally came to their senses and stripped Denuvo from Final Fantasy 16 back in March of this year. Capcom has been aggressive about it too, pulling the tech from Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess in July.

It is becoming a standard lifecycle event. A game launches with Denuvo to protect those precious day-one sales. Then, a year or two later, the publisher realizes they are paying a subscription fee for software that annoys their customers and stops absolutely nobody.

Why It Matters

We all know the arguments. Publishers say Denuvo doesn't impact performance. Players swear it makes their CPU scream in agony. The truth is usually somewhere in the middle, but removing it never hurts.

Without Denuvo, Company of Heroes 3 is now a cleaner product. It is safer for long-term preservation, it likely loads a bit faster, and it removes that nagging feeling that you don't actually own the software on your hard drive.

So fire up your tanks and go blow something up. The Essence Engine 5 destruction system is still great, and now you can enjoy the debris without wondering if an anti-tamper check is eating your frame rate.

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NLM Team
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