A new update to Doom Eternal has raised security concerns among the game’s userbase. After updating the game, some players have reported seeing spyware warnings being issued from their anti-virus software. Does Doom Eternal have spyware, or is this just some kind of unfortunate coincidence?
Does Doom Eternal have spyware?
Doom Eternal does not have spyware. The recent security concerns raised about the game stem from the installation of Denuvo Anti-Cheat alongside the latest update. In some instances, Denuvo software could be flagged as spyware by anti-virus programs.
ALSO: How to remove Doom Eternal Denuvo anti-cheat
The Denuvo Anti-Cheat system is installed when updating Doom Eternal with the patch released on May 14, 2020. Developed by Irdeto, the anti-cheat software is intended to prevent cheating or hacking in multiplayer matches. By most accounts, the system is legitimate and effective.
However, many players are vocally displeased to have Denuvo Anti-Cheat installed on their computers. Denuvo’s Anti-Tamper has been very unpopular with PC players in the past, which is why players are understandably wary of similar software today.
What’s worse, the new Anti-Cheat system has a largely “invisible” installation, with no pop-ups, splash screens, or tray icons to be seen. In fact, players who didn’t pay attention during installation may not have realized that the game was installing anti-cheat software. As always, we recommend reading through the patch notes (in this case the 1.03 patch notes) to learn more about the latest changes.
Much like with the Valorant anti-cheat system, Denuvo Anti-Cheat installs a kernel mode driver that is loaded any time a PC is booted up. The developers state that the software is only active when Doom Eternal is running. Still, it’s possible for anti-virus programs to discover the driver and flag it as malicious software or spyware.
Regardless of what anti-virus programs may say, Doom Eternal does not have spyware. Of course, many players are not happy about the inclusion of Denuvo Anti-Cheat, but that’s another matter entirely.
