Will Ninja Gaiden 4 Launch With Denuvo? What We Know So Far

Quick one for the PC crowd: Ninja Gaiden 4 is finally about to land, and the big pre-launch question has basically been, 'Is Denuvo in there?' Right now, it looks like no. But keep your expectations flexible — that could still change before release.

So, is Denuvo actually in Ninja Gaiden 4?

As of today, neither Team Ninja nor Koei Tecmo lists Denuvo on the Steam or Microsoft Store pages, which is usually where the DRM gets flagged. That strongly suggests the game is shipping without it. The catch: the developers have not made any official statement, and publishers sometimes flip the Denuvo switch very late — even days before launch. In other words: currently no, but not guaranteed.

What Denuvo is, and why PC players care

Denuvo Anti-Tamper is DRM created in 2014 by Denuvo Software Solutions and now run by Irdeto. Its job is to make cracking a game painful during the window when most sales happen. It is common for studios to ship with Denuvo at launch, then remove it later — though some just leave it in indefinitely.

Players do not love it, and not just on principle. The usual complaints are hitching and longer loads, plus those online check-ins that feel pointless when you are playing a single-player game. We have seen multiple titles perform better after Denuvo was removed post-launch — think Resident Evil Village, Tekken 7, and Hogwarts Legacy, among others. Despite the pushback, a lot of big-budget games still use it.

If it shows up anyway

If Denuvo gets added last-minute, expect a small performance tax versus a no-DRM build. The silver lining is that Ninja Gaiden 4 is not positioned as a graphics monster, so the hit should not be dramatic. If it stays out, that is good news for people who prioritize raw performance and modding flexibility.

'Are you ready? NINJA GAIDEN 4 launches at these times worldwide:'

Release details you actually need

• Release date and platforms: October 21, 2025 on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC
• Day-one availability: Included with Xbox Game Pass
• Global rollout:
  - Oct 20, 5 PM PT
  - Oct 20, 8 PM ET
  - Oct 21, 1 AM BST
  - Oct 21, 2 AM CEST
  - Oct 21, 9 AM KST / JST
  - Oct 21, 11 AM AEDT
  - Oct 21, 1 PM NZDT
• Preload sizes: 23.55GB on PS5; 54.9GB on PC
• Who made it: Co-developed by Team Ninja and PlatinumGames
• Who you play: New lead Yakumo joins the franchise mainstay, Ryu Hayabusa
• Deluxe Edition extras: The 'Two Masters' DLC, exclusive skins, weapon sets, and bonus currency
• Denuvo status right now: Not listed on Steam or the Microsoft Store; no official word from Team Ninja/Koei Tecmo; could still be added close to launch

Bottom line: plan for a Denuvo-free PC launch, but do not be shocked if it sneaks in late. I will keep an eye on the store pages and update if anything changes before October 21.