piracy Archives

TrendTechie

August 13, 2026

Японские власти вычислили сидера аниме-трекера без слежки за торрент-роем

The Kyoto Prefectural Police have arrested 56-year-old Masakazu Ono, a primary seed of the torrent site Nyaa, following a multi-year investigation led by the anti-piracy organization CODA. Ono was identified through an analysis of data movement on torrent sites, rather than direct monitoring of BitTorrent traffic. He is accused of uploading around one thousand NHK recordings, including content from the series "Midnight Taxi." The investigation began in 2021 as part of the Cross-Border Enforcement Project, which aimed to identify uploaders on Nyaa. Charges were also brought against three secondary uploaders from aggregator sites.

TrendTechie

August 13, 2026

Весь топ из Steam за 399 рублей: как я перестал пиратить и тратиться на игры

Purchasing major game releases on Steam typically costs between 3,000 to 6,000 rubles, leading some players to feel that the investment is impractical, especially if they only play a game once. This has resulted in increased piracy, which poses risks such as malware. SteamPass is a subscription service that offers access to over 2,200 games for 399 rubles per month, allowing users to explore various titles without the high costs of individual purchases. The service operates by providing separate accounts for each game, but it has limitations, including a limited number of accounts for popular games and the need to switch to offline mode to avoid being logged out. Progress and achievements are tied to the rented account, and account sharing is against Steam's terms of service. Despite these drawbacks, SteamPass is seen as a safer alternative to piracy and impulsive purchases.

TrendTechie

August 13, 2026

Японская полиция начала войну с торрентами — теперь у нее есть способ находить первоисточники раздач

Masakazu Ono, a 56-year-old resident of Sagamihara, was arrested by the Kyoto Prefectural Police for his role as a prolific seeder on the torrent tracker Nyaa, with assistance from the anti-piracy organization CODA and the Japan Hacker Association. His arrest was linked to the upload of the television series Midnight Taxi, but he had been sharing various programs from the Japanese broadcasting corporation for years. CODA identified him using tracker metadata analysis and de-anonymization techniques through Deep Packet Inspection, rather than traditional methods of monitoring torrent swarms.

AppWizard

August 11, 2026

Xodus Cracks Xbox Authentication and Game Package Decryption to Bring PC Game Pass to Linux

Developers of the Heroic Games Launcher have announced Xodus, an open-source project aimed at enabling access to PC Game Pass on Linux and macOS. Launched on August 10, 2026, Xodus has successfully addressed Xbox identity authentication and the decryption of MSIXVC packages, allowing local play of Game Pass titles for Linux and macOS users. Currently, the only way to access Game Pass on non-Windows devices is through Xbox Cloud Gaming, which requires a Game Pass Ultimate subscription and introduces latency. Xodus employs a layered architecture, including an Xbox Authentication Library (xal-rs) for managing Microsoft account sign-ins and license verification, and a reimplementation of the xgameruntime.dll for license checks and Xbox service access. The project can retrieve MSIXVC game packages using a valid Game Pass subscription and decrypt executables for local storage. However, it does not yet support UWP-based titles and lacks a user-friendly interface for general users. The project is under pressure due to Microsoft's upcoming transition to the MSIXVC2 package format, which Xodus does not currently support. Xodus is in early development with only a command-line interface available, and the team is working on emulating the GDK Gaming Services layer necessary for game initialization. The project is legal as it reimplements Xbox runtime behavior without enabling piracy, but it faces risks if Microsoft alters its authentication infrastructure.

AppWizard

August 2, 2026

Beast of Reincarnation Has Been Leaked, Cracked & Pirated Before Its Official Release

Beast of Reincarnation, developed by GAME FREAKS, will launch on PC on August 3. Players control Emma and her dog, Koo, in a post-apocalyptic Japan, engaging in skill-based battles and exploring dynamic environments. The game features a combat system that enhances Koo's attacks and introduces techniques called Blooming Arts. Pre-load has begun, leading to speculation about potential piracy or leaks. Caution is advised for those considering downloading the pirated version, which is circulating online. No review code has been provided for the PC version, but a pre-order has been secured.

AppWizard

August 1, 2026

Corsair Cove Is Available Today With Xbox Game Pass, And Here’s What The Reviews Are Saying

Corsair Cove, a pirate-themed strategy game, has been added to Xbox Game Pass for PC users and has received a 'Generally Favorable' rating of 79 on Metacritic. Critics praise its engaging gameplay, charming aesthetics, and vibrant visuals, comparing it to titles like Sea of Thieves. The game features city-building mechanics that allow players to manage an island, raise a fleet, and govern a crew, although some reviewers note that the building mechanics may lack complexity for veteran players. Corsair Cove will be available on PC Game Pass at 4pm BST / 8am PDT / 11am EDT / 5pm CEST.

AppWizard

July 31, 2026

Corsair Cove Sets Sail On PC And Game Pass – Time To Build The Ultimate Pirate Haven

Corsair Cove is a new city-building strategy game developed by Limbic Entertainment and published by Hooded Horse, available exclusively on PC through the Xbox Store, Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass, Steam, and the Epic Games Store. The game is priced at £34.99. Players start with a shipwreck and survivors, expanding their pirate settlement by constructing various buildings while managing resources and production chains. The game features vertical construction, tactical combat against enemy fleets, and exploration of neighboring islands for resources and treasures.

Winsage

July 29, 2026

Microsoft will make it harder to illegally activate Windows and close a popular piracy loophole

Microsoft is requiring the use of TPM 2.0 security modules for Key Management Service (KMS) activation servers to combat unlicensed software and corporate piracy. KMS, used by organizations for mass activation of devices, has been targeted by hackers who create counterfeit servers. The new protocol mandates that KMS hosts validate their hardware credentials through the TPM 2.0 chip before activating client devices. This initiative will mainly affect illegal infrastructures in the corporate sector, while legitimate PC users will not be impacted. Starting in August 2026, Windows Server 2025 will introduce hardware readiness alerts to help system administrators prepare for these changes. TPM 2.0 has been required for Windows 11 since 2021, and its application is being expanded to address vulnerabilities in volume licensing.

Winsage

July 29, 2026

Microsoft reportedly using TPM chips to weed out Windows piracy

Microsoft's Trusted Platform Module (TPM) 2.0 has been integral to Windows 11's security since its launch in 2021. TPM is now standard in most CPUs, allowing Microsoft to enhance device activation security. The current Key Management Service (KMS) model has vulnerabilities that hackers exploit, prompting the need for stronger device identity and activation integrity assurances. TPM provides a hardware-level security mechanism for the activation process, where KMS hosts must present TPM credentials to validate their hardware identity and confirm they are uncompromised. Starting with upcoming Windows Server releases, KMS hosts will be required to prove they run on verified hardware before activating clients. By August 2026, Windows Server 2025 will help administrators prepare for these changes.

AppWizard

July 29, 2026

Corsair Cove review

Corsair Cove, a pirate-themed city builder, will be released on July 31, 2026. It is published by Hooded Horse and developed by Limbic Entertainment. The game features a setting where pirates escape from a prison ship to build a colony on a deserted island with a skull-shaped mountain. It offers a lighthearted atmosphere with activities like drinking rum and dancing with pigs. Corsair Cove is distinct from Tropico 2: Pirate Cove and incorporates elements reminiscent of Fabledom and logistics puzzles similar to Whiskerwood or Factorio. The game is reviewed on high-end hardware, including the RTX 4090 and Intel i9-13900k, and is also confirmed to be playable on the Steam Deck.