Denuvo asks court to force Discord, Valve and Reddit to unmask alleged game cracker
Denuvo wants Discord, Valve and Reddit to help unmask a hacker accused of stripping its copy protection from dozens of PC games.
The anti-piracy company has asked the US District Court for the Northern District of California for permission to subpoena the three platforms, saying it needs account records solely to establish the defendant's true identity, Video Games Chronicle reported.
The target uses the handle voices38. Denuvo describes the account as a prolific cracker behind releases that removed its software from nearly 30 games.
Denuvo makes Anti-Tamper technology, code added to PC releases that checks a copy is legitimate and blocks unauthorised use. DRM, or digital rights management, is the broader term for tools that control how a bought game can be accessed and copied.
The complaint lists 26 titles. It alleges voices38 bypassed Denuvo Anti-Tamper, bypassed DRM restrictions, removed copyright protections controlling unlawful access, and enabled the creation and distribution of pirated versions.
Named games include Resident Evil Requiem, Stellar Blade, Black Myth Wukong, 007 First Light, Pragmata, Hogwarts Legacy, Sonic Frontiers, Assassin's Creed Mirage, Mafia: The Old Country, Doom: The Dark Ages and Dead Space Remastered.
The filing does not give a real name. Instead it lists a Discord user ID, a Reddit account and seven associated Steam accounts linked to voices38. Steam is Valve's PC storefront and launcher.
Denuvo said it contacted all three companies before going to court. Discord did not reply, according to the filing. Valve and Reddit said their privacy policies stopped them sharing user information without a court order.
If the judge agrees, Discord, Reddit and Valve would be legally required to hand over identifying details tied to those accounts. No ruling has been reported.
The request is the latest step in a case first outlined in September, when TorrentFreak reported Denuvo's lawsuit against voices38. A follow-up report detailed the bid to unmask the defendant.
What makes this stand out is the paper trail. Crackers usually stay anonymous. Here Denuvo is trying to connect forum posts, chat handles and store accounts into one real-world identity.
