Empress (cracker)
{{Short description|Video game cracker}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2023}}
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|name=EMPRESS
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|known_for = Software cracking
Video game piracy
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|years_active = 2014–present
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Empress (sometimes stylized EMPRESS) is a video game cracker who specializes in breaking anti-piracy software. While the true identity of Empress is unknown, she refers to herself as a young Russian woman.{{cite web |title=THE TOP TIER CONTRADICTION & HYPOCRISY OF THE HUMAN RACE |url=http://reddit.com/r/EmpressEvolution/comments/117ywff/the_top_tier_contradiction_hypocrisy_of_the_human/ |website=/r/EmpressEvolution |publisher=Reddit |access-date=1 May 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230221085652/reddit.com/r/EmpressEvolution/comments/117ywff/the_top_tier_contradiction_hypocrisy_of_the_human/ |archive-date=21 February 2023}} Empress has also released cracked games under the moniker C000005.{{cite web |date=26 September 2020|last1=Maxwell |first1=Andy |title=Games Cracker 'EMPRESS' Wants to Crowdfund Denuvo Cracks|url=https://torrentfreak.com/games-cracker-empress-wants-to-crowdfund-denuvo-cracks-200926/ |website=TorrentFreak |access-date=5 March 2023 |language=en}}
Empress is known as one of the few crackers who can crack Denuvo. Her motivation is to remove the software license aspect of digital games in an effort to preserve them after developers drop support.{{cite magazine |last1=D'Anastasio |first1=Cecilia |title=The Woman Bulldozing Video Games' Toughest DRM |url=https://www.wired.com/story/empress-drm-cracking-denuvo-video-game-piracy/ |magazine=Wired |access-date=5 March 2023 |date=22 February 2021}} Empress also states that removing digital rights management (DRM) increases performance in-game.{{cite web |last1=Macgregor |first1=Jody |title=Pirates claim Resident Evil 8 crack fixes performance problems |url=https://www.pcgamer.com/pirates-claim-resident-evil-8-crack-fixes-performance-problems/ |website=PC Gamer |access-date=5 March 2023 |language=en |date=12 July 2021}}
Career
Empress became interested in the DRM-cracking scene in 2014. Her followers could participate in polls to select which game they want cracked next, and her work was funded through crowdsourced donations. Empress typically requests $500 for cracking a specific game. She uses the money to cover living costs, hardware upgrades, and purchase games that she intends to crack.
Empress rose to prominence after releasing a cracked version of Red Dead Redemption 2.{{cite web |last1=Besharaty |first1=Mark B. |title=Hacker Empress Set to Release Highly Anticipated Hogwarts Legacy Empress Crack |url=https://gamelevate.com/hogwarts-legacy-empress-crack/ |website=Gamelevate |access-date=5 March 2023 |date=21 February 2023}} Other high-profile games cracked by Empress include Mortal Kombat 11 and Anno 1800. In February 2021, Empress stated that she would soon be arrested after being allegedly caught working on a crack for Immortals Fenyx Rising. Empress blamed FitGirl Repacks, with whom she had a feud.{{cite web |last1=Maxwell |first1=Andy |title=Denuvo Cracker EMPRESS "Arrested", Blames Repacker FitGirl & Reddit For Witch-Hunt |url=https://torrentfreak.com/denuvo-cracker-empress-arrested-blames-repacker-fitgirl-reddit-for-witch-hunt-210224/ |website=TorrentFreak |access-date=5 March 2023 |language=en |date=24 February 2021}} However, that March, Empress was available to publish a workaround for the online check-in system of Battle.net.{{cite web |last1=Machkovech |first1=Sam |title=Activision releases online-only PC game without online content, cracked in one day |url=https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2021/03/activision-releases-online-only-pc-game-without-online-content-cracked-in-one-day/ |website=Ars Technica |access-date=5 March 2023 |language=en-us |date=28 March 2021}} Empress's arrest announcement was met with general skepticism by the cracking community.{{cite web |last1=Swiatek |first1=Bart |title=Empress Arrested for Cracking Denuvo? |url=https://www.gamepressure.com/newsroom/empress-arrested-for-cracking-denuvo/zb2e1c |website=Gamepressure |access-date=15 August 2023 |date=25 February 2021}}
She released a cracked version of Hogwarts Legacy in February 2023, just 12 days after release.{{cite web |last1=Maruccia |first1=Alfonso |title=Notorious game cracker has removed Denuvo from Hogwarts Legacy after just two weeks |url=https://www.techspot.com/news/97722-notorious-game-cracker-empress-removed-denuvo-hogwarts-legacy.html |website=TechSpot |access-date=5 March 2023 |date=24 February 2023}}
Controversies
Empress is known around the P2P scene for her "extremely opinionated" notes she supplies in the NFOs of her releases. For example, the information file supplied with the cracked version of Hogwarts Legacy expressed dissatisfaction with what was described as the "woke system" of today, defending Harry Potter series creator J.K. Rowling's views on transgender people.