Dead by Daylight to trial Denuvo Anti-Cheat

A new anti-cheat test starts September 2

The Dead by Daylight team’s announcement says its first Anti-Cheat Trial begins on September 2. The Steam PC build will trial Denuvo Anti-Cheat for a limited period while the team evaluates how well the provider’s tool flags cheating behaviour.

This is not a Denuvo Anti-Piracy or DRM rollout. The trial concerns Denuvo’s anti-cheat product only. Steam players will be asked to install it on their first launch during the trial, and installation is mandatory to play.

What this means for cheat users

A different anti-cheat is being introduced into live Steam matches. The announcement does not disclose its detection methods, the trial’s end date, enforcement procedures, or the compatibility status of any cheat. There is no source-based reason to call a product compatible with the trial, or to promise that it is not detected.

The practical call is to wait rather than launch cheat software during the trial. The tool is being assessed for its ability to identify cheating, so testing a cheat against an unproven anti-cheat environment means taking an extra, unknown risk. No cheat is safe, and a trial of a new anti-cheat is not a situation to treat casually.

That applies equally to Rage for Dead by Daylight and Fecurity for Dead by Daylight. The announcement does not verify either product’s status under Denuvo Anti-Cheat. Check the current product status and support updates before making a decision; old user reports are not a compatibility confirmation.

Steam only, with cross-play unchanged

The announced trial is exclusive to Steam. The Dead by Daylight team says cross-play will not be affected. It also says Steam Deck and Proton compatibility has been tested and will continue to be supported.

That scope should not be read as a risk assessment for every platform or setup. It simply identifies where the trial is running. If you launch Dead by Daylight on Steam PC during the trial, Denuvo Anti-Cheat is part of the required game launch process.

Reports remain available

Players are asked to keep using the in-game report feature and to add clear details about what they saw, including examples such as wallhacks, speedhacks, or teleporting. The announcement specifies that the “Hacking/Exploiting” report category covers both cheaters and hackers.

Changing the name of a feature does not change what it does in a match. If you need a plain-language breakdown of ESP, radar, aimbot, chams, and similar features, see the cheat feature guide. For the broader reasons cheats are exposed, including detections, updates, behaviour, and reports, read why cheats get detected.

What to do now

1. If the Steam trial is live for you, do not run cheat software until the relevant product’s support confirms its current status.
2. Do not assume the anti-cheat installer is optional: the announcement says it is required to access the game during the trial.
3. Do not use a primary account for a one-match compatibility test. Consequences from cheat use cannot be guaranteed away.
4. If an account has already been penalized, avoid random fixes and start with the steps in the what to do after a ban guide.

Once this specific trial ends, Denuvo Anti-Cheat will no longer be active in Dead by Daylight. The team also plans to publish Support Portal instructions for removing any leftover files if needed. Until then, base decisions on confirmed status updates, not assumptions about a new anti-cheat.