IO Interactive has removed Denuvo anti-tamper DRM from the PC version of its James Bond origin story game 007 First Light. The change arrived with Title Update 1.1.0 on July 24, 2026, roughly two months after the title launched on May 27.

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The Behind Enemy Lines Update

The update, called Behind Enemy Lines, also brings two new TacSim missions, fresh unlockable rewards such as the DRS-7 Silenced SMG and the Diamond in the Rough outfit, and fixes for more than 200 issues. The Denuvo removal itself was not highlighted in the official patch notes. Players and trackers spotted it through SteamDB history, where the main executable size dropped noticeably after the update went live.

Late Addition and Quick Crack

Denuvo had only appeared on the game’s Steam page about a week before launch. That late addition triggered widespread criticism from PC players worried about performance impact, always-online checks, and restricted ownership. Some canceled pre-orders in protest. IO Interactive had previously stripped Denuvo from earlier Hitman titles, so the initial inclusion surprised many fans who expected a similar approach.

The protection proved short-lived in practice. Crack groups, including RUNE, broke the DRM within roughly two weeks of release. Once pirated copies circulated freely, the ongoing cost of maintaining Denuvo offered little remaining benefit for the developer.

Player Response and Future Support

Community response to the removal has been largely positive. Many players who waited on the sidelines now feel more comfortable buying the game. Others simply welcomed the cleaner executable and the chance to play without the controversial middleware. Discussions on Steam and Reddit noted the relatively quick turnaround compared with titles that keep Denuvo for a year or longer.

007 First Light has maintained a Very Positive rating on Steam overall, with critics and players praising its stealth-action gameplay and origin-story take on a young James Bond. The Denuvo episode remains a reminder of how sensitive PC audiences remain to last-minute DRM decisions. With the protection now gone, IO Interactive continues its post-launch support through new missions, rewards, and technical polish. Path tracing, still listed as coming later, has no confirmed arrival window yet.