‘Hogwarts Legacy’ will launch with controversial Denuvo software on PC

The Steam release of Hogwarts Legacy will include controversial anti-piracy software Denuvo.

Denuvo is a digital rights management (DRM) solution, with its anti-tamper software encrypting game files and requiring occasional online verification. While this means players must remain online at all times, it makes the games harder to pirate or crack.

However, it’s been reported that Denuvo causes performance issues, with a host of games removing the software in post-launch updates. Both Rise Of The Tomb Raider and Shadow Of The Tomb Raider had Denuvo removed after reports that the software was slowing the game down. The likes of Monster Hunter: World and Mass Effect: Legacy Edition also removed Denuvo shortly after launch.

A recent update to Hogwarts Legacy’s Steam page confirmed that it would be selling a version of the game with Denuvo. A PC version of Hogwarts Legacy will also be available via Epic Games Store and the listing doesn’t currently mention Denuvo, but that doesn’t mean that can’t change before launch.

The controversial Harry Potter game is set to launch February 10 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S and PC. A Playstation 4 and Xbox One version will follow on April 4, while Nintendo Switch players have to wait until July 25.

Earlier this week, it was confirmed that Simon Pegg will voice Hogwarts headteacher Phineas Nigellus Black, a character he describes as a “self-interested fool”. Elsewhere Heartstopper star Sebastian Croft and Amelia Gething will provide the voices for Hogwarts Legacy’s two playable avatars.

Since the game was announced, Warner Bros and Portkey Games have done their best to distance Hogwarts Legacy from divisive Harry Potter creator J.K. Rowling after a string of anti-trans rants. 

The lead actors of Harry Potter (Rupert Grint, Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson) were amongst those that condemned her views, with Grint saying: “Trans women are women. Trans men are men.”

According to the FAQs, Hogwarts Legacy has not been written by Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling, though it does stay true to her “original vision”.

The president of Warner Bros. Games went on to say: “While J.K. Rowling is the creator of Harry Potter, and we are bringing that world to life with the power of Portkey, in many places, she’s a private citizen also. And that means she’s entitled to express her personal opinion on social media. I may not agree with her, and I might not agree with her stance on a range of topics, but I can agree she has the right to hold her opinions.”

In other news, a new release date for Skull & Bones will be announced “very soon” after the latest delay to the game, Ubisoft says.