Mortal Kombat 1 Has Denuvo DRM

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Mortal Kombat 1 will launch on Steam with Denuvo DRM, according to an update on its storepage. The controversial anti-tamper software is intended to prevent, or at least halt, efforts to pirate the game, but it is also linked to performance issues.

Denuvo was added to the storefront just days ago without warning, but it was thankfully spotted by fans online. It doesn't seem that there will be a release of the game on PC without it, so anyone who has struggled to run games that use Denuvo in the past may want to reconsider what platform they play on.

One of the first places to spot this development was, no surprise, r/CrackWatch - a subreddit that follows game piracy. However, this isn't just going to frustrate those looking to distribute illegitimate copies of Mortal Kombat 1, as Denuvo DRM has been known to cause significant performance issues, such as stuttering, longer loading times, and overall decreased frame rates. In other words, exactly what you'd want to avoid in a fighting game that relies on precise button inputs and reactions.

Mortal Kombat 1 using Denuvo isn't overly surprising. Not only is it pretty commonplace in big Steam releases now, but it was also used for Mortal Kombat 11, the last instalment in the series. Many games later go on to remove the DRM later into their lifecycle, but Mortal Kombat 11's was only ditched last year, so we may be in for a bit of a wait. Still, some players say they had no issues to speak of with the last game, so perhaps it won't tank the performance as much as it has with other PC releases.

Sadly, this isn't the only gripe players have with Mortal Kombat 1 ahead of its launch. It's also been confirmed that it will have microtransactions. This seemingly involves purchasing a microcurrency in order to buy in-game "skins, colour palettes, gear and more". Admittedly, this isn't too dissimilar from Mortal Kombat 11's approach, but it's still not a popular decision by any stretch of the imagination. The fighting game genre has unfortunately become a vehicle for excessive monetisation in recent years, to the point where even characters are regularly locked behind DLC before launch. In Mortal Kombat 1's case, Shang Tsung is a pre-order bonus, and three returning fighters are in the first DLC pack.

With this in mind, we shouldn't expect Denuvo is go anywhere anytime soon, even if there is a huge backlash from the community. Complaints about Mortal Kombat 11's microtransactions weren't enough to shelf that practice, after all.

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