Irdeto acquires Denuvo in bid to beef up security for the games industry
"The success of any game title is dependent upon the ability of the title to operate as the publisher intended," says Irdeto CEO
Top gaming security firm Denuvo has been acquired by software giant Irdeto as part of a deal provide anti-piracy and and anti-cheat solutions for PC, mobile, console, and VR devices.
Denuvo provides technology and services for game publishers and platforms, with Electronic Arts, Ubisoft, Warner Bros., and Lionsgate Entertainment among its current list of clients.
With the global gaming market estimated to be worth $128.5 billion by 2020, the new deal looks to halt the proliferation of cheating that will accompany such vast growth in the industry. Such problems are evidenced by PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds which has been plagued by cheating following its rise to market dominance.
"The success of any game title is dependent upon the ability of the title to operate as the publisher intended," said Doug Lowther, CEO, Irdeto. "As a result, protection of both the game itself and the gaming experience for end users is critical. Our partnership brings together decades of security expertise under one roof to better address new and evolving security threats."
Denuvo's anti-tamper technology prevents hackers from copying and reverse engineering games to redistribute the content, using Irdeto's experience and resources to bolster its own technology.
In particular, Devuno is turning its attention to protecting the virtual in-game economies of online multiplayer titles. Denuvo's anti-cheat technology prevents hackers in multiplayer games from manipulating and distorting data and code to gain an advantage over other players or bypass in-game microtransactions.
"Hackers and cybercriminals in the gaming space are savvy, and always have been," said Reinhard Blaukovitsch, managing director of Denuvo, Irdeto. "It is critical to implement robust security strategies to combat the latest gaming threats and protect the investment in games. Much like the movie industry, it's the only way to ensure that great games continue to get made.
"In joining with Irdeto, we are bringing together a unique combination of security expertise, technology and enhanced piracy services to aggressively address security challenges that customers and gamers face from hackers."