Two major oversights have led to Final Fantasy XV being pirated on PC ahead release

Final Fantasy XV will be launching on PC this week but it looks like some users are already able to play, as the Origin version of the game has already been cracked. Square Enix opened up the door for buyers to pre-load the game on a few storefronts earlier this week, and thanks to the earlier release of the free demo, crackers had a big head start.

The final version of the game will contain Denuvo DRM. However, this can be circumvented using the EXE file from the demo version of the game, which was DRM-free. Square Enix isn’t the only one at fault here though, as Chinese cracking group ‘3DM’ explained that the pre-load files on Origin were left unencrypted. Currently, players are reporting that this method grants access to most of the game, albeit with some DLC content is missing.

This puts Square Enix in the unfortunate position of having pirates able to play the game well ahead of legitimate buyers. Origin has since re-uploaded its pre-load files with encryption in place, but it is too late, as fully cracked and playable versions of the game are already out there on the web.

So in short, this isn’t a day-zero Denuvo crack, but more of a complete circumvention due to various oversights on the parts of Square Enix and Origin. If you pre-ordered Final Fantasy XV on PC, you’ll get to play on the 8th of March.