Capcom rolls back controversial Resident Evil Revelations update

Other Capcom games still have the offending software installed, though

Capcom’s had a bit of a week, as controversy flared up around mandatory anti-piracy Enigma Protector software, which some say interferes with PC game mods. After player outrage over Enigma showing up in Resident Evil Revelations, Capcom removed it from the survival horror game and cited an “issue observed,” without naming the issue (thanks, GamesRadar).

Players unhappy with Enigma say it harms performance in a way similar to Denuvo, though little evidence exists to suggest those claims are true.

The drama started in late 2023, when Capcom started removing Monster Hunter World videos that used or even mentioned mods. The publisher also started adding Enigma to its catalogue of games, including new releases such as Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective and, of course, Resident Evil Revelations.

Ghost Trick Phantom Detective review: Paranormal puzzle excellence

Enigma’s performance issues might be subjective, but what’s certain is that the program creates obstacles for other software accessing the .exe file. That makes modding more difficult or even impossible in some situations, and it’s a little unusual for Capcom to suddenly take what looks like an anti-mod stance on its games.

While some mods are perhaps less than necessary – naked Leon Kennedy and Ada Wong mods in Resident Evil 4, for example – most are either silly fun or improve the game in some way. A Monster Hunter World mod might let you skip the long, otherwise mandatory cutscenes that play before every new monster encounter, while some Resident Evil 2 mods modify the difficulty or change perspective so every playthrough feels fresh. 

The idea is encouraging more people to play, and for longer, though Capcom evidently sees the situation differently.

Meanwhile, don’t expect Enigma to stay out of Resident Evil Revelations for long. Capcom said they plan on adding the software again once they sort the unspecified issue.

Monster Hunter Wilds announced at The Game Awards 2023