cracking Archives

AppWizard

July 8, 2026

Cracked version of Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced leaked days prior to official release despite Denuvo DRM protection — Denuvo unable to stop crackers, with some finding ways to completely remove it from other titles

The Denuvo anti-tamper technology has been bypassed in pre-release versions of Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced, allowing unauthorized copies to circulate since June 7, 2026, ahead of its official launch on July 9, 2026. This incident follows similar leaks of major titles earlier in the year, including Forza Horizon 6, LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight, and Subnautica 2. Critics argue that Denuvo causes performance issues and intrusive online checks, raising doubts about its effectiveness and necessity in protecting single-player titles.

AppWizard

June 21, 2026

“Subscription-based gaming is the final boss of piracy”: Why I think we’re on track to own nothing and be happy we get to play at all

A study published in the Entertainment Computing journal analyzed 86 games released on Steam from 2014 to 2022, finding that games with cracked versions available within the first week of launch experienced a 20% drop in revenue. If DRM delayed cracks by at least six weeks, the revenue decline was only 5%, and if DRM withstood cracks for three months, there was no significant loss in revenue. Denuvo's defenses have been breached within hours of game releases, and the future of DRM may rely more on contractual agreements than technology. Subscription-based gaming models, like Xbox's PC Game Pass, are emerging, allowing players to access games without owning them, which raises concerns about game ownership and the potential for titles to be removed from libraries. The rise of cloud gaming is seen as a solution to affordability issues for gamers, but it also leads to questions about the future of game ownership and piracy.

TrendTechie

May 21, 2026

007 First Light рискует оказаться на торрентах до официального релиза

The game 007 First Light is set to launch on May 27, but there are concerns about it being leaked onto torrent sites before its release. Players who pre-order the game can start playing 24 hours earlier than the general public, increasing the risk of piracy. Recent trends show an increase in fully functional pirated versions of major games appearing before their official launches, including titles like Pragmata and Death Stranding 2. There is no confirmed information about the use of the anti-piracy system Denuvo on Steam, and even with such protections, hackers have been able to bypass them. Factors contributing to early availability of game builds to hackers include failures in pre-loading systems and actions by reviewers. Even if a game avoids leaks initially, it is likely to be pirated eventually.

AppWizard

May 13, 2026

Playground Games confirms Forza Horizon 6 hack came from the inside

A 155 GB unencrypted build of Forza Horizon 6 has leaked online ahead of its release, confirmed by Playground Games to have originated from a reviewer, influencer, or industry insider, not a Steam employee or technical glitch. The leak includes thousands of assets, granting unauthorized early access to the game's content. This incident raises concerns about the handling of unreleased game builds and could impact future release plans and the game's success. Playground Games may be able to identify the source of the leak through attached identifiers in the early access copies sent for review.

AppWizard

May 11, 2026

Samsung is cracking down on apps that spam your phone with ads

Samsung's Device Care app, version 13.8.80.7, introduces a feature to block applications that frequently send advertisement notifications. This feature allows users to place problematic apps into a "Deep Sleep" mode, silencing their notifications. Users can choose between Basic blocking, which uses internal data to restrict known ad-spamming apps, and Intelligent blocking, which analyzes notifications in real-time. The feature is currently available only for the Galaxy S26 series and can be monitored through the settings path: Settings -> Device care -> Care report -> Excessive alerts. The update is being rolled out in phases via the Galaxy Store.

AppWizard

May 11, 2026

Forza Horizon 6 and Directive 8020 Have Been Leaked and Cracked Before Release

Fully playable versions of Forza Horizon 6 and Directive 8020 have leaked due to an unintentional push by Steam. Both games were secured by Steam's Digital Rights Management (DRM), which was easily bypassed. Forza Horizon 6 can be played in Offline Mode, while Directive 8020 is a single-player experience without an Online Mode. Forza Horizon 6 is scheduled for release on May 19, featuring ray-traced global illumination and reflections on PC, while Directive 8020 will launch on May 12, supporting DLSS 4 and Path Tracing. NVIDIA has provided a review code for Forza Horizon 6, but not for Directive 8020.

AppWizard

May 9, 2026

Stellar Blade is the latest Denuvo game that has been cracked

Stellar Blade was cracked by the cracker known as ‘voices38,’ bypassing its Denuvo anti-tamper technology nearly a year after its release by Sony on PC in June 2025. Unlike typical practices, Sony has not removed the game from circulation. The voices38 crack bypasses Denuvo protections without altering the operating system, unlike the HYPERVISOR Bypass, which requires disabling certain Windows security features. Previous Denuvo cracks have allowed the technology to operate in the background. Legitimate owners of Stellar Blade face penalties while pirates access the game freely, raising questions about Denuvo's effectiveness. Other publishers, including Capcom, Square Enix, KRAFTON, NEOWIZ, Gearbox, Bethesda, Bandai Namco, and Warner Bros, have removed Denuvo from several of their titles.