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Divisive anti-piracy company Denuvo has a new owner

Its new owner is also interested in its anti-cheating tech for online gaming.

Denuvo, the firm behind the best-known gaming anti-piracy tech, has been snapped up by global digital security company Irdeto. The company's divisive software, which protects video games from attempts to "crack" them and produce a free copy, is considered notoriously difficult to break.

But, recent versions of its system haven't fared as well. In October, it emerged that its anti-tampering tech didn't hinder hackers from cracking Middle-Earth: Shadow of War in a day. Before that, a cracker published a workaround for indie title Rime less than a week after its release, leading to its developers releasing a DRM-free update.

In a press release, Irdeto claims that Denuvo will operate as usual, with all staff (including sales) retained. Its new owner is also interested in its anti-cheating tools, claiming that they can be used to protect online game data and micro-transactions from hackers. Whereas Denuvo may be recognizable to gamers, Irdeto has also left its mark on the industry, most notably by issuing takedown notices for Overwatch porn.