Denuvo was removed from Dead Island 2, and the game immediately appeared on pirate sites

Dambuster Studios decided to remove the Denuvo protection system from the zombie action game Dead Island 2, and the consequences were immediate. Almost immediately after the update's release, the game appeared on torrent sites—pirates immediately took advantage of the lack of DRM and distributed the game online.

The removal of the protection occurred without official comment from the developers or publisher Deep Silver, but the decision was hardly accidental. Since its release, the game has already broken even and turned a profit, eliminating the need for Denuvo, which often raises concerns about its impact on performance.

Dead Island 2 was released in April 2023 after years of development and multiple delays. Despite audience skepticism, the game received generally positive reviews and strong sales, allowing the studio to begin work on a sequel to the franchise.