Denuvo Anti-Cheat is a kernel-level anti-cheat made by Irdeto, and it does not ban anyone itself: it detects cheats, and the game's publisher decides what happens next. Device fingerprinting is built in to stop sanctioned players coming back on new accounts. Irdeto's 2025 product sheet claims cheaters are removed in under 4 weeks on average, across more than 13.5 million unique players hosted. It is a separate product from Denuvo Anti-Tamper, the anti-piracy DRM most players know. Everything below reflects Irdeto's pages as of November 2026.
| Made by | Irdeto |
|---|---|
| Level | Kernel driver that runs only while the protected game is active |
| Who bans | The game's publisher; Denuvo only detects |
| Repeat offenders | Device fingerprinting, per Irdeto, to stop banned players returning on new accounts |
| Not the same as | Denuvo Anti-Tamper, a user-mode anti-piracy DRM |
| Appeals | To the game's publisher; Irdeto has no player appeal process |
What is Denuvo Anti-Cheat?
Denuvo Anti-Cheat is Irdeto's anti-cheat for online games, and it runs at kernel level. Irdeto's Denuvo kernel anti-cheat page says the driver runs only while the protected game is active. A 2021 Irdeto Q&A on kernel drivers narrows that further: it installs and runs when you open a game's competitive multiplayer features, not when the game starts.
It competes with better-known systems. Our side-by-side look at the main anti-cheat vendors sets it against ACE and others, and there are separate guides on how Easy Anti-Cheat bans and appeals work and what to do after a BattlEye ban.
Is Denuvo Anti-Cheat the same as Denuvo DRM?
Denuvo Anti-Cheat is not the same thing as Denuvo DRM. The DRM is Denuvo Anti-Tamper, which runs entirely in user mode, with no kernel drivers and no requirement to stay online. Irdeto frames it as anti-piracy protection.
The two products are independent. A game can ship with Anti-Tamper and no Anti-Cheat, and Anti-Tamper never bans players. If a Denuvo game banned you, the anti-cheat side and the publisher behind it made that call.
Does Denuvo Anti-Cheat ban you?
Denuvo Anti-Cheat detects cheats, and the game's publisher decides on the ban. Irdeto made the point in a July 2020 post busting myths about Denuvo Anti-Cheat, and its 2025 product sheet tells publishers the same thing: "You decide on what happens once a cheater has been detected".
So the type and length of a ban depend on the game. Two titles running the same Denuvo driver can treat an identical detection in completely different ways.
Does Denuvo Anti-Cheat issue hardware bans?
Denuvo Anti-Cheat supports hardware-level enforcement through device fingerprinting, and the publisher decides whether to use it. The 2025 product sheet promises "device fingerprinting and biometrics to ensure sanctioned players don't reoffend with new accounts". Irdeto's 2023 case study on Marauders makes the same claim, crediting the fingerprinting with stopping repeat offenders from getting around detection.
At least one developer says it acts on that data. Prophecy Games, the studio behind TRIBES 3: Rivals, writes in its Denuvo FAQ that Denuvo's accuracy allows the studio "to do VAC bans or hardware bans (which we don't take lightly)". For how a device fingerprint becomes a ban, see our explainer on hardware bans and the fingerprints behind them, and for the parts of a PC that carry those identifiers, our overview of a PC's hardware IDs.
Does Denuvo Anti-Cheat collect personal data?
Denuvo Anti-Cheat does not send personally identifiable information off your machine. Irdeto's 2021 Q&A makes that claim and describes the product as GDPR and CPRA compliant. In the TRIBES 3: Rivals FAQ, Denuvo adds that its device hash contains no personal data and cannot be decrypted by Denuvo.
Which games use Denuvo Anti-Cheat?
Irdeto does not publish a list of Denuvo Anti-Cheat games. Primary sources confirm these:
- Marauders: the subject of Irdeto's 2023 case study.
- TRIBES 3: Rivals: confirmed in Prophecy Games' own FAQ.
- DOOM Eternal: used it briefly, until a Bethesda patch on 27 May 2020 removed the integration on PC.
If you want games where device bans are a published part of the rules, our roundup of 20 games known for HWID bans lists them.
How do you appeal a ban in a Denuvo Anti-Cheat game?
You appeal a ban in a Denuvo Anti-Cheat game to that game's publisher, because Irdeto does not handle player bans or run a player appeal process. For TRIBES 3: Rivals, for example, Prophecy Games lists [email protected].
Find the support page of the game that banned you and write from the email on the account. Our general guide to ban appeals and durations covers what helps a case with any publisher.
Can you uninstall Denuvo Anti-Cheat?
You can uninstall Denuvo Anti-Cheat like any other Windows program. It comes off cleanly in one click from the Add or remove programs dialog in the control panel.
Denuvo Anti-Cheat FAQ
Is Denuvo Anti-Cheat kernel-level?
Yes. The Denuvo Anti-Cheat kernel driver runs only while the protected game is active.
Who decides how long a Denuvo Anti-Cheat ban lasts?
The game's publisher decides. Denuvo Anti-Cheat only detects cheats, and each publisher chooses how to respond.
Does Denuvo Anti-Tamper ban players?
No. Denuvo Anti-Tamper is anti-piracy DRM that runs in user mode. Bans come from anti-cheat systems and the publishers that run them.
Does DOOM Eternal still use Denuvo Anti-Cheat?
No. Bethesda removed Denuvo Anti-Cheat from DOOM Eternal on PC in a patch on 27 May 2020.
Sources
- Irdeto: Denuvo Anti-Cheat kernel anti-cheat and Denuvo Anti-Tamper product pages
- Irdeto: Busting myths around Denuvo Anti-Cheat (23 July 2020)
- Irdeto: Denuvo Anti-Cheat product sheet (2025)
- Irdeto: Q&A about Denuvo Anti-Cheat and Windows kernel-mode drivers (2021)
- Irdeto: Marauders case study (2023)
- Prophecy Games: TRIBES 3: Rivals Denuvo Anti-Cheat FAQ
- Bethesda Support: Denuvo Anti-Cheat in DOOM Eternal
Rules change. Check the publisher's official pages before you act on anything here.