It took awhile, but Skid Row, the legendary hacker group, has finally defeated Ubisoft’s misguided DRM protection scheme. Last night, a version of Assassin’s Creed II was uploaded by the hackers and unlike previous attempts, this latest attack on Ubisoft’s DRM has met with complete success.

The hack itself removes the DRM entirely and is being claimed by a consortium known as Skid Row. It requires users to download and install a modified version of the game’s executable file to their computers. These modified game files, alongside a crack that can be applied to a retail version of the game, were uploaded to various file-sharing sites late Tuesday evening.

Attached to the “readme” file that comes with the hacked content (which can be found here), Skid Row alerted other hackers that the group’s methods were safeguarded against reverse-engineering in order to fend off competing hacking groups and Ubisoft itself.

Skid Row also left a note for Ubisoft directly, telling the company to spend less time on its DRM and more on the actual game play:

“Thank you Ubisoft, this was quiete [sic] a challenge for us, but nothing stops the leading force from doing what we do. Next time focus on the game and not on the DRM. It was probably horrible for all legit users. We just make their lifes [sic] easier.”Prior to Skid Row’s release, there has been a hack that emulated the back and forth of Ubisoft’s DRM servers to the game. However, it did not work for all users or localizations of the game. In the readme file, Skid Row claimed its new solution “cannot be compared to that.”

Source: CNET

Now that the news has spread like wildfire, Ubisoft is finally issuing a response and it is predictably vague. So vague that I am inclined to believe their statement doesn’t hold much water or truth.  Is it possible some aspect of the game is missing? Sure. Is it likely? No, not given how Ubisoft designed Silent Hunter V, meaning it’s not an MMO and it’s world doesn’t exist on a 3rd-party server. If Ubisoft really wants to defeat piracy, may I suggest that your next game be called Silent Hunter Online? Problem solved.

Also know that Ubisoft basically admitted this was possible only one week ago in an interview with PC Gamer, Ubisoft was asked what would happen in the future if Ubisoft took the servers down; how would players be able to continue playing the game?

Response: “If for some reason, and this is not in the plan, but if for some reason all of the servers someday go away, then we can release a patch so that the game can be played in single-player without an online connection. But that’s if all of the servers are gone.”

Translation: If a patch can be made in the future…a patch can be made right now, by hackers.

Here’s Ubisoft’s “please believe us” statement:

“You have probably seen rumors on the web that Assassin’s Creed II and Silent Hunter 5 have been cracked. Please know that this rumor is false and while a pirated version may seem to be complete at start up, any gamer who downloads and plays a cracked version will find that their version is not complete.”

Ubisoft made serious waves when they announced a new DRM policy for all new PC titles, beginning with Silent Hunter 5 and Assassin’s Creed 2. The new scheme UbiSoft hoped would thwart piracy requires all legitimate users to have a permanent Internet connection that continuously authenticates a copy of the game. Additionally, save game files are now stored on UbiSoft servers. This new system has angered long-time fans who are rightfully pissed off that this new procedure will undermine the integrity of their game, i.e., lose Internet connection and you can’t play the game, or Ubisoft servers take a hike and you’re left holding your dick.

Well, Ubisoft’s master plan has collapsed in under 24-hours, as infamous cracker group Skid-Row has tackled the new DRM and rendered it useless, meaning the only people now suffering with this ridiculous DRM are legitimate owners.

Silent Hunter NFO:

Ü ß               ßÜ    ÜþßßßþÜ      Û                ÜþßßßþÜ
°   ÛÜ     ²Ü     °    ÜÛÝ  ß       ²Ü     ßßÛÛÛÜÜ     ° ÜÛÜ     ²ÛÜ
ßÛÛÛÜ ²ÛÛÜ     ÜÜÛÛÛÜÜß    °   ²ÛÛÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÛÛÛÛÛÜ ° ÜÛÛßÛÛÜ ° ²ÛÛ²  °     Ü
ÜÛÛÛÛßßßßßß ²ÛÛ²  ²ÛÛÛÛßÛ²²²Û  ÜÜÜÜÜܲÛÛ² ²ÛÛ²  ²ÛÛ²ß ÜÛÛ²   ²ÛÛÜ ²ÛÛ² °°°  ÜÛ²
ßßßßßß²²²²Üß²²²ßß²²²Ü   ßßß  Û²²²ß  ²²²² ²²²²ßß²²²ÜÜ ²²²² ° ²²²² ²²²² °°° ²²²²
±±±±±  Þ±±±±ÛÞ±±  Þ±±±± ²²²²²Þ±±±± ° ±±±± ±±±±  Þ±±±±Ûܱ±± ° ±±±± ±±±± °°° ±±±±
°°°°° ° °°°°°Ý°° ° °°°°°°°°°°Þ°°°° ° °°°° °°°° ° °°°°°°°°° ° °°°° °°°°  Ü  °°°°
±±±±± ° ±±±±±Ý±± ° ±±±±±Ü±±±±±±±±± ° ±±±± ±±±± ° ±±±±±Ý±±± ° ±±±± ±±²ßÜÛÛÛÜß²±±
Þ²²²² °Þ²²²²²²²² °Þ²²²²²Ý²²²²Þ²²²²Ý  ²²²² ²²²² °Þ²²²²²²²²² ° ²²²² ²²²²²ß ß²²²²²
ßÛÛ² ÜÛ²ÛÛßÜÛÛß  ²ÛÛÛÛ²ÛÛÛß  ²ÛÛÛ²ÜܲÛ۲ܲÛß   ²ÛÛÛ² ßÛÛ²   ²ÛÛß ²ÛÛß ° ° ßÛÛ²
°  ßÜÛÛßß   Ûß   ÜÛ²ÛÛß Ûß  °  ÛÛÛÛÛßßß   ß  ° ÞÛÛ²ÛÝ ° ßÛÛÜÛÛß ° ²ß   °     ßÛ
Üßß    °     ÜÛÛÛßß  ° ßþÜÜþß ßßÛÛÛÛÜÜÜþß  °  ßßÛÛÛÜÜÜÜÜÛÛß Eboy
ßÜÜþß     þßß                                     ßßßßßß
S   K   i   D   R   O   W

Üß               ->  T H E   L E A D i N G   F O R C E   <-                 ßÜ
ßÜ                                                                          Üß
ßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßß ßßßßß  ß proudly presents ß  ßßßßß ßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßß
° ÛÛÛ²²²²±±°° Silent Hunter 5: Battle of the Atlantic / Ubisoft °°±±²²²²ÛÛÛ °
±ÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜܱ
²                                                                           ²
²   RELEASE DATE : 03-03-2010               PROTECTION : Ubisoft DRM        ²
²   GAME TYPE    : Submarine Simulation     DISKS      : 1 DVD              ²
°                                                                           °
ßÛ²ßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßÛÛßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßß ßßß  ß
ßÛÝ Release Notes: ßÛÜ                                               ° Û
Üþ  Þ² ÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÛÛÜ                                             ± Û
Û   ÜÛß Û                                                                ² Û
ßßß  ° Û The Skid Rowdies are looking new blood to fill up the ranks.   Û Û
± Û We're a professional team of dedicated sceners with big mark   Û Û
Û Û under sceners. We believe on the ground idealism of the root   Û Û
Û Û of the real old school scene. We do all this for fun and       Û Û
Û Û nothing else. We don't earn anything on our hobby, as we do    Û Û
Û Û this for the competition and the heart of what got the scene   Û Û
Û Û started in the mid eighties.                                   Û Û
Û Û                                                                Û Û
Û Û If you think you got something to offer, then don't hold back  Û Û
Û Û on contacting us as soon as possible.                          Û Û
Û Û                                                                Û Û
Û Û  _______  __     ___     _____   /__                          Û Û
Û Û      / |/ /_/_|         _  / /_ /  /                   Û Û
Û Û  / /| / / //| |     //_// / / / / / /                   Û Û
Û Û /   |   /  | |_   / / / /_/ / /// /                    Û Û
Û Û ____/|_|___/|___/ / /_/_/__/_/____/                     Û Û
Û Û     twice the fun   / double the trouble                      Û Û
Û Û                                                                Û Û
Û Û ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ Û Û
Û Û                                                                Û Û
Û Û On with the game release information:                          Û Û
Û Û                                                                Û Û
Û Û Silent Hunter 5 hails the return of the number one submarine   Û Û
Û Û simulation. For the first time the player will be able to play Û Û
Û Û & feel as U-boat captain leading his crew from a first person  Û Û
Û Û view in a true dynamic campaign.                               Û Û
Û Û                                                                Û Û
Û Û Operate against Allied shipping on a vast area all across the  Û Û
Û Û Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea and participate in famous Û Û
Û Û encounters with strong enemy warships. Can you do better than  Û Û
Û Û the best U-boat aces?                                          Û Û
Û Û                                                                Û Û
Û Û Silent Hunter 5 raises the levels of interactivity and         Û Û
Û Û immersion inside the U-boat and outside                        Û Û
Û Û                                                                Û Û
Û Û For the first time the player will walk through highly         Û Û
Û Û detailed submarines in FPS view and be able to access every    Û Û
Û Û inside & outside part of the U-boot                            Û Û
Û Û                                                                Û Û
Û Û With the help of an advanced order system the player will      Û Û
Û Û interact with the submarine crew, watch them doing their daily Û Û
Û Û jobs and experience the tension & fear inside the U-boot.      Û Û
Û Û                                                                Û Û
Û Û Player actions will impact the outcome of battles and the      Û Û
Û Û scenario evolution in campaign. Depending on his approach the  Û Û
Û Û player can open new locations with upgrade and resupply        Û Û
Û Û possibilities, while the Allied response adjusts dynamically   Û Û
Û Û                                                                Û Û
Û °                                                                Û °
ßÛ²ßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßÛÛßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßß ßßß  ß
ßÛÝ Install Notes: ßÛÜ                                               ° Û
Üþ  Þ² ÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÛÛÜ                                             ± Û
Û   ÜÛß Û                                                                ² Û
ßßß  ° Û 1. Unpack release                                              Û Û
± Û 2. Mount image or burn it                                      Û Û
Û Û 3. Install                                                     Û Û
Û Û 4. Copy the content from the SKIDROW folder on the DVD to your Û Û
Û Û    installation directory and overwrite                        Û Û
Û Û 5. Play the game                                               Û Û
Û Û                                                                Û Û
Û Û Additinal Notes:                                               Û Û
Û Û                                                                Û Û
Û Û Don't install/use Ubisoft launcher, or simply block any        Û Û
Û Û connection to internet.                                        Û Û
Û Û                                                                Û Û
Û Û Install game and copy crack, it's that simple!                 Û Û
Û Û                                                                Û Û
Û Û Support the companies, which software you actually enjoy!      Û Û