AlthoughResident Evil Villageseems to have performed well on most platforms since its May release, there have been reports from PC players concerning frame stuttering in the game. These stutters often occur when fighting zombies or even during key moments such as the game’s introduction ofLady Dimitrescu’s daughters. But a few days ago a pirated version ofResident Evil Villageappeared online that has apparently fixed these stuttering problems, and those behind the cracked game are blaming Capcom for its DRM software.
According the group that released the cracked version, EMPRESS,Resident Evil Villagehas two different piracy measures put in place. One is the controversialDenuvo anti-cheat software, and the other is called “Capcom Anti-Tamper V3.” The group claims that these systems working together are the reason for the stuttering spike problems in the game, and their version ofResident Evil Villagefixes these problems by circumventing DRM (digital rights management).
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Several prominent game testers have reportedly affirmed that EMPRESS' version does run smoother than Capcom’s, and now Capcom has responded to the community. The company says that it is currently “working on a patch to address PC performance issues” and believes the patch will be available toResident Evil VillagePC players shortly. Capcom also indicated that it would be coming out with more details soon.
Although an upcoming patch is likely to help smooth things over, it seems the central controversy following the release of this cracked version ofResident Evil Villageis Capcom’s decision to prioritize its anti-piracy software over game performance. Capcom’s efforts this time around did preventhackers circumventing DRMfor longer, but at a cost to a smoother gaming experience. Considering PC gamers are known for pushing the limits of game performance and optimizing their tools to achieve clean gaming experiences, it’s not a surprise that Capcom’s decision has raised so much discussion within the PC community.
All of this will probably only heighten the debate over the potential negative effects of Denuvo anti-cheat software in PC games. The software has been accused of causing unusually high CPU usage and degradation to SSD storage, though Denuvo Software Solutions often downplays these claims. Regardless, it’s hard for PC gamers to feel confident in purchasingResident Evil Villagewhen there is an illegal yet free version that performs better only a few months after release.
If Capcom’s upcoming patch manages to smooth things out inResident Evil Villageit will be good for everyone involved. But if future PC games with Denuvo software run into similar performance problems, theDenuvo controversywill only escalate in the PC community.
Resident Evil Villageis available now on PC, PS4, PS5, Stadia, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
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