Mafia: The Old Country | Denuvo Integration Draws Gamer Anger
The decision to include Denuvo technology in Mafia: The Old Country has triggered intense backlash among the gaming community. Players are voicing concerns over how Denuvo may impact gameplay performance while reassessing their plans to buy the game.
Performance Woes Intensify
Many gamers believe the combination of Denuvo and Unreal Engine 5 will worsen performance issues. Comments in forums echo this fear with statements like, "Expected from 2K considering the recent Civ7 also has it." Others add, "Name an iconic duo. Unreal Engine 5 + Denuvo. You got good PC specs? Yeah, it will run like crap." Performance complaints range from general stuttering to specific problems: "Shader compilation stutter is manageable, but traversal stutter is what annoys me the most with UE games."
Curiously, some players discuss past experiences with Mafia III, noting, "Considering how poorly it ran on release, that’s a very safe bet." This skepticism towards 2K's optimization choices is rampant.
Unyielding Opposition to Anti-Piracy Measures
The opposition to anti-piracy measures is more charged than ever. Many players express a commitment to wait for a Denuvo-less version before they consider purchasing, voicing sentiments like, "Well that’s a wrap for me; I’ll wait for the patched version, otherwise there are plenty of other games to keep me busy."
A notable comment reads, "Makes me feel like Denuvo approached them with a deal they couldn’t refuse," indicating distrust in the developers' motives.
Community Strategy Shifts
Amid heightened frustrations, forum users are strategizing on potential workarounds. Discussions range from offline activation methods to skepticism about future patches: "Being from 2K, there’s a small chance they can remove it later, but I wouldn’t bet on it."
Interestingly, some players highlight exceptions in the realm of Unreal Engine 5 games. "Tbf Clair Obscur runs smoothly on UE5," a user shared, while another praised, "Split Fiction is maybe the most optimized UE5 game I’ve played, very smooth even on my old 1070 GTX." These comments suggest that with capable developers, UE5 can perform well, even amidst prevalent issues in other titles.
Key Insights
△ Gamers hold growing concerns about performance degradation combining Denuvo with UE5
▽ A significant number are opting to delay purchases pending a Denuvo-free version
※ "Name an iconic duo: Unreal Engine 5 + Denuvo," - Popular forum comment
As discussions continue to unfold, Mafia: The Old Country may face significant hurdles. With mounting backlash, 2K must reconsider its security strategies to prevent further alienation of its player base and adapt to demands for better gameplay experiences.