> Didn't they back out Denuvo in the end?

I know that mainstream video game journalism mostly ranges from regurgitating publisher's lies to spreading political propaganda, but you may want to read at least the PCGW article[0]. This game has been using the Denuvo Anti-Tamper malware since its launch (2020-03-20). The first update (2020-05-14) introduced the additional Denuvo Anti-Cheat malware. This kernel mode(!) service was also required in singleplayer, decreased system stability (blue screens), caused performance issues and made playing the game on Linux impossible, after it had worked perfectly fine before via Proton. Its integration with the game was removed in the second update (2020-05-27), but Bethesda.net customers had to manually uninstall the service themselves.

> "good industry behaviour"

The game requires both a Bethesda.net account and either the Steam or Bethesda.net launcher, which are both in themselves malware, has four unskippable intro screens that last almost half a minute and the encrypted savefiles are locked to a specific platform/account. The included versions of Doom and Doom II are censored, some of the background music in the port of Doom 64 plays differently than in the original and the Red Cross symbol is censored. The account check and intro screens can be disabled with command line arguments, but the vast majority of players probably do not know this.

Doom Eternal does not offer a demo, has a base price of $60, pre-order DLC, a $90 Deluxe Edition (or a $30 Year One Pass) and a $200 Collector's Edition, that does not include a physical version of the game, but a download code locked to the Bethesda.net version and whose included OST, leaving the controversy about its quality aside, was only available a month after launch (2020-04-19) also locked behind a Bethesda.net account and still unavailable on other platforms a standalone. Despite its creative director's lie, this game also contains microtransactions, which were time-limited and locked behind linking a paid (or "free" trial) subscription to a certain online shop/video game live streaming service to the Bethesda.net account. The only thing missing is gambling (loot boxes).

Such revolting behaviour is an even further departure than Doom (2016) from the once self-publishing id Software that offered a shareware episode of Doom and open sourced their cleaned up game engine code four years after release.

> worth rewarding

Would you reward your hostage-taker for holstering the loaded gun - for now - after having pointed it to your head, because you did not get shot this time? Your attitude is precisely the reason why the Western game industry has not yet deservedly collapsed despite being in such a self-destructive state. Why should I reward stopping only one of numerous blatantly user-hostile practices, instead of blacklisting anybody who uses them in the first place, or just completely ditching these racketeering publishers and supporting indie developers or a different hobby altogether? You get the industry you deserve.

A DRM-free version of the game is also available, if you know where to look. "Pirates" get the objectively superior experience, again.

[0] https://www.pcgamingwiki.com/wiki/Doom_Eternal