Bethesda accidentally shipped Doom Eternal with a DRM-free executable

[Shawn Knight]

Oopsie: Publisher Bethesda apparently made a big boo-boo with its recent launch of Doom Eternal. As users on Reddit and ResetEra quickly discovered, the publisher “accidentally” left a DRM-free copy of the game’s executable in the download package.

It was confirmed earlier this week once the review embargo lifted that Doom Eternal would use anti-tamper technology Denuvo to help slow piracy out of the gate. Once users had a chance to poke around the game files, however, they discovered a DRM-free executable sitting right there in plain sight – in a folder labeled “original,” nonetheless.

According to this Reddit user, the primary executable weighed in at 369 MB and could be found in the main game folder. In the subfolder, there was a smaller 67 MB executable that could easily be copied to the main folder to overwrite the Denuvo executable.

From there, all you had to do was launch the game, create a Bethesda account (this appears to be a mandatory step although according to Ars Technica, crackers have already discovered a workaround to enable a fully offline experience) and start playing.

As you’ve likely guessed, Bethesda was quick to issue a patch that removed the DRM-free executable but the damage has already been done and the publisher has nobody to blame but itself for seeding a DRM-free version of Doom Eternal.

This isn’t the first time such a thing has happened, either. Bethesda experienced a similar slip up last year with Rage 2 and ultimately removed Denuvo from the Steam version days later.

Permalink to story.

https://www.techspot.com/news/84486-bethesda-accidentally-shipped-doom-eternal-drm-free-executable.html

 

[ZackL04]

Ha, looks like we all get eternal

Fire up them torrents

 

[psycros]

"..the damage has already been done and the publisher has nobody to blame but itself for seeding a DRM-free version of Doom Eternal."

Saw what you did there.

 

[noel24]

Can Bethesda do ANYTHING right these days?

 

[CharmsD]

a smaller 67 MB executable

Bethesda unzips the fastest 67 megabytes on the net.

 

[VitalyT]

It doesn't matter if Bethesda did the patch or not. Once it left the doors, it was too late at that point, because that version hit torrents right away, and now it is everywhere, can't be stopped.

I can see a number of the DRM-free torrents already. I cannot publish the links here though, because it is against TechSpot policy.

 

[scavengerspc]

Wow. Something like this will attract the lowlifes like flies to..... well you know.
Leaving an open door to a thief is not ideal. I wonder if they will catch on to that someday.

 

[ZedRM]

Ha, looks like we all get eternal

Fire up them torrents

LOL if you're joking. If not, don't be a pathetic thief. If you want the DRM free version, fine, but go buy the game first.

To Bethesda;
Since it's already out there, how about a DRM free release on GOG? Say yes and let us enrich you.

 

[QuantumPhysics]

The more complicated these DLC get, you can always bet that problems like this will arise to be exploited.

 

[ZackL04]

LOL if you're joking. If not, don't be a pathetic thief. If you want the DRM free version, fine, but go buy the game first.

To Bethesda;
Since it's already out there, how about a DRM free release on GOG? Say yes and let us enrich you.

I dont play games on pc, im just addicted to the tech, but thanks for the jab.

 

[m4a4]

Well, they might as well commit to DRM free with this game now too.

 

[Getgone]

This is the only way for Bethesda to be good - accidentally.

 

[Gus Fring]

Does Mark Zuckerberg have a punchable face? I believe he does . he is down to his last 50Bn atm , no space rockets for him, maybe a Balloon or two (airlander).

 

[brucek]

Here's hoping this has minimal impact to sales figures. DRM tech is an expense to the publisher and a burden to honest game players and their PCs. It'd be nice to get some proof it's not necessary.

 

[Ludak021]

Here's hoping this has minimal impact to sales figures. DRM tech is an expense to the publisher and a burden to honest game players and their PCs. It'd be nice to get some proof it's not necessary.

CD Red doesn't use it and had no trouble selling games. DRM is just a waste of money and time. Denuvo has been cracked last year. Every Denuvo. They chose to pay for the useless gimmick it's their loss.
You know, people that pirate titles wouldn't have payed for them anyway. That dude in Africa making GM cars for $300 a month is not a thief, he is just poor because he is being exploited. He saves for a year to afford a console or a PC to be able to play some games, and each game costs 1/5th of his hard earned PC. So he gets around it. Real thieves are big companies exploiting poor people, making them slave away so they could eat and have electricity.

Rich entitled pricks coined and now use word "thieves" for pirates, as if they are stealing something from them. we come back at "if I copy your car and you are non the wiser, did I steal something from you?"

it's much easier to be honest game player when you can just find 50 bucks lying around.

 

[Evernessince]

Wow. Something like this will attract the lowlifes like flies to..... well you know.
Leaving an open door to a thief is not ideal. I wonder if they will catch on to that someday.

The thing is, The witcher 3 is DRM free and that game has sold a ton. If anything going DRM free increases sales.

Adding DRM to a game just gives people a reason to pirate and often times punishes legitimate customers. If someone wants to pirate a copy, they are going to do so. DRM won't change that. It should be no surprise that legitimate customers don't like the proverbial gun held up to their head.

 

[treetops]

This is the only way for Bethesda to be good - accidentally.

meh I don't think it was really an accident, but I really have no clue, ty to whomever if

p.s. even though I don't really plan to play it, I have more then enough old paid for gaming content to sift through

 

[scavengerspc]

The thing is, The witcher 3 is DRM free and that game has sold a ton. If anything going DRM free increases sales.

Adding DRM to a game just gives people a reason to pirate and often times punishes legitimate customers. If someone wants to pirate a copy, they are going to do so. DRM won't change that. It should be no surprise that legitimate customers don't like the proverbial gun held up to their head.

So maybe I can look at it in a different way because that does make sense.
I still can stand a thief though. Regardless of how they justify it.

 

[Irata]

Wait, so DRM is making the executable roughly six times as large ???

 

[ZedRM]

Wait, so DRM is making the executable roughly six times as large ???

Kinda sad and pathetic isn't it!

 

[ZedRM]

but thanks for the jab.

You're welcome! Glad you enjoyed it!

 

[Evernessince]

Wait, so DRM is making the executable roughly six times as large ???

Often times 10x or more.

Loading times are also increased.

 

[Evernessince]

So maybe I can look at it in a different way because that does make sense.
I still can stand a thief though. Regardless of how they justify it.

Yes, I'm not saying it's right either. Don't know If I'd go as far to call it thievery though. If I steal something from a store, that store looses that item, which they paid for. If you copy a digital file, no one looses anything as it is just a copy. It's still should be illegal but I don't think it's on the level of thievery and it should be just a civil crime, not a criminal one. It doesn't make sense to throw people in jail for that sort of thing. Of course, it would be different if it were source code as that is more or less the original copy and carries much more weight.

 

[hwertz]

So 369MB executable, but 67MB without rights restriction crap. It's astounding to me that a rights restriction system would be 302MB.

 

[Capaill]

So 369MB executable, but 67MB without rights restriction crap. It's astounding to me that a rights restriction system would be 302MB.

It's probably from all the keyloggers that it contains
I would guess that it takes snapshots of your system and installed executables, and sends the details back to Denuvo, to see if you have any hacking software installed.

CDPR / GOG doesn't need DRM because there are so many gamers that like the company and want to support them by buying the full version of the game.
Conversely, there are so few people that like Bethesda now (after Fallout 76) and have little desire to support them.
Moral: It's only the companies that rip off their customers that need to invest in DRM.