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Final Fantasy 16 PC version removes Denuvo Anti-tamper DRM

Denuvo's DRM anti-piracy software has apparently been taken out of Final Fantasy 16 in a recent update.

TJ Denzer

March 6, 2025 9:55 AM

Image via Square Enix

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It looks like the Square Enix’s Final Fantasy 16 is the latest game to remove Denuvo’s DRM anti-piracy measures. While the game launched with Denuvo, it would appear that a recent update saw the infamous software taken off the game.

The apparent removal of Denuvo from Final Fantasy 16 was spotted on SteamDB, which logged the latest update to the game on March 4, 2025. Apparently, the update simply logged the removal of third-party DRM Denuvo’s Anti-tamper software. While the implications about piracy of the game are of consideration, it also means that Final Fantasy 16 will probably run better than it did previously. In many notorious cases, Denuvo is known for hampering the performance of games, which has made it highly unpopular among consumers.

It's of interesting note that while Denuvo Anti-tamper may have been removed from Final Fantasy 16, it’s not a blanket approach for Square Enix. After all, Final Fantasy 15, which launched in 2018, still has the DRM software loaded into it and that doesn’t appear to be going away anytime soon.

It’s hard to say why Square Enix would choose to pull Denuvo from Final Fantasy 16 and not other titles, but players of the game should be happy with the results. As we watch for further updates, stay tuned to the Square Enix topic for more relevant news and coverage.

TJ Denzer

Senior News Editor

TJ Denzer is a player and writer with a passion for games that has dominated a lifetime. He found his way to the Shacknews roster in late 2019 and has worked his way to Senior News Editor since. Between news coverage, he also aides notably in livestream projects like the indie game-focused Indie-licious, the Shacknews Stimulus Games, and the Shacknews Dump. You can reach him at tj.denzer@shacknews.com and also find him on BlueSky @JohnnyChugs.