Last week, all Hell broke loose in the PC community when Bethesda released a new update for DOOM Eternal, which promised to fix some bugs and give players an even better gameplay experience; you know, the usual stuff that one would expect from an update.
What Bethesda didn't tell players — and very deliberately, mind you — was that they were also adding the Denuvo Anti-Cheat system to the PC version of DOOM Eternal, and players were not happy about this at all; and they had every right to be upset, too.
As a quick recap, what had PC players up in arms was the fact that the Denuvo Anti-Cheat system pretty much collects information that is then sent to Amazon servers.
What's more, this system was only implemented so that players didn't cheat online; those who don't care about the online mode were still forced to install the update — which is even more aggravating, considering that DOOM Eternal's multiplayer is not necessarily what players bought the game for.
It took a solid week before id Software addressed this issue, and today we have some good news for players who were left disappointed by Bethesda's sketchy practices, as the developer has revealed that the Denuvo Anti-Cheat system will be removed in the next update.
"Despite our best intentions, feedback from players has made it clear that we must re-evaluate our approach to anti-cheat integration. With that, we will be removing the anti-cheat technology from the game in our next PC update," explained DOOM Eternal Executive Producer Marty Stratton on the official subreddit for the game.
"As we examine any future of anti-cheat in DOOM Eternal, at a minimum we must consider giving campaign-only players the ability to play without anti-cheat software installed, as well as ensure the overall timing of any anti-cheat integration better aligns with player expectations around clear initiatives – like ranked or competitive play – where demand for anti-cheat is far greater."
Stratton also addressed speculation that Bethesda had forced these practices on them, and reveals that this is definitely not the case; particularly when it comes to the anti-cheat fiasco. With that said, it is great to see id Software address these issues that could end up tarnishing the relationship with their fanbase.
DOOM Eternal puts you in control of the DOOM Slayer as you blow apart new and classic demons with powerful weapons in unbelievable and never-before-seen worlds. Experience the ultimate combination of speed and power as you rip and tear your way across dimensions with the next leap in push-forward, first-person combat.
DOOM Eternal is currently available for the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC.
Nintendo Switch version expected to release soon.