V2 DRM documentation covers threat model, protection scope, and known limitations for the PC launch protection program. It is an engineering and release-review document, not a player-facing promise that DRM prevents every attack.
threat model. protection scope. known limitations. startup overhead. privacy constraints.
- privacy constraints
Threat Model#
The launch threat model prioritizes launch-window piracy, tampered executable distribution, patched memory in protected modules, tampered assets, ownership bypass through platform entitlement gaps, and debugging and reverse engineering against critical gameplay logic. The program assumes determined attackers can eventually analyze client binaries, so the objective is launch-window cost increase, tamper detection, release evidence, and safe response.
Protection Scope#
Protection scope includes executable packing, runtime unpacker integrity, code
virtualization, anti-debugging detection, license verification, offline license
cache, game data integrity, anti-tamper telemetry, game binary signing, DRM
impact benchmarking, DRM removal pathway, DRM A/B testing, and third-party
provider adapters through IV2ThirdPartyDrmProvider.
The scope excludes deterministic rollback simulation, combat authority, server truth, and anti-cheat adjudication. Provider SDK secrets stay outside the repository and load through secure CI secrets.
Known Limitations#
DRM is not anti-cheat. DRM does not stop all piracy. DRM can add startup overhead, compatibility risk, support burden, and player sentiment risk. Privacy constraints limit telemetry granularity, and anti-tamper telemetry must remain manual-review-only before penalties. DRM-free and post-support-lifecycle releases use the documented removal pathway when publishing, legal, platform, fair-play, security, and privacy sign-off allows it.
Review Guardrails#
Required review guardrails are security review, legal review, publishing approval, and privacy review. Documentation must link the DRM decision doc, the third-party integration API, A/B testing, removal pathway, impact benchmarking, and anti-tamper telemetry privacy rules.
V2/ue/Tools/check-v2-drm-documentation.py validates this document, the DRM doc
inventory, Horde gates, CI workflow wiring, and the deterministic documentation
plan.
Required release gates:
drm-documentation-plan-generateddrm-documentation-doc-inventorydrm-documentation-threat-model-coveragedrm-documentation-protection-scope-coveragedrm-documentation-known-limitations-coveragedrm-documentation-review-guardrails