Piracy has been a long-standing issue for the video game industry, dating back to its beginnings. Players used to copy and share games, cutting publishers out of revenue. Even with stronger security measures now, piracy still happens. Interestingly, some developers have taken a funny approach instead of simply trying to stop it. They’ve built traps into their games that playfully mess with pirates, sometimes allowing them to play for a while before hitting a humorous roadblock. Here are five of these amusing anti-piracy tricks, presented in random order.
1) Game Dev Tycoon
One of the most famous and cleverly ironic anti-piracy efforts comes from the game Game Dev Tycoon. In this game, you run your own video game studio. If someone pirated the game, they could play it, but there was a twist. As their in-game company started to succeed, their income would suddenly plummet due to widespread piracy. Eventually, an employee would inform the player that piracy was the cause of their financial troubles. It was humorous because players who pirated the game flooded online forums asking how to fix the in-game piracy issue, inadvertently revealing that they were pirates themselves.
2) Mirror’s Edge
Electronic Arts, known for its digital rights management system Origin, cleverly frustrated pirates with the game Mirror’s Edge. The game relies on fast-paced running and parkour. However, in illegally copied versions, players would suddenly lose speed when approaching jumps, slowing them down to a crawl. This made the game unplayable, as the very first challenge requires a long jump that’s impossible to perform while moving so slowly.
3) Batman: Arkham Asylum
Batman: Arkham Asylum is a groundbreaking action game where players become Batman, exploring the infamous Arkham Asylum. The game combines stealth, quick combat, and the ability to glide using Batman’s cape. However, a glitch affected some pirate copies of the game, causing Batman to awkwardly fall instead of glide. When one player complained online, the game developers surprisingly responded by accusing them of piracy rather than offering technical support.
4) Serious Sam 3: BFE
Some game developers try to discourage piracy by letting players get into the game before introducing an unbeatable obstacle. A good example is Serious Sam 3: BFE. The game starts with fast-paced, humorous combat, but if you’re playing a pirated copy, you’ll quickly encounter a massive scorpion that can’t be damaged. No matter how much you shoot at it, it relentlessly attacks with both close-range and long-range attacks. While amusing to watch, this makes it impossible for pirates to finish the game.
5) Crysis Warhead
Anti-piracy measures in games rarely become a joke, but Crysis Warhead is an exception. Instead of harming enemies, weapons in pirated copies of the game fire live chickens! While the chickens don’t actually hurt anyone – they just briefly stun enemies – they make the game nearly unplayable. Surprisingly, this hasn’t deterred people; many are actively seeking out pirated versions just to experience the absurdity of shooting chickens, making it one of the most amusing anti-piracy tactics ever seen in a video game.
What’s the most amusing attempt to stop piracy you’ve come across? Share your thoughts in the comments and join the discussion on the ComicBook Forum!
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2026-01-05 18:11