Judge Approves Subpoenas to Identify Software Cracker

The legal action compels Discord, Valve, and Reddit to surrender user data to identify a developer of software cracks.

Updated on Oct. 20, 2026 in Cybersecurity

Isometric editorial illustration of a metallic server rack flanked by geometric security shields, representing digital legal discovery. — A federal judge in California has authorized subpoenas for Discord, Valve, and Reddit to identify the software developer behind pseudonym Voices38. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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A federal judge in California has approved nine revised subpoenas requested by Denuvo to identify a software cracker known as Voices38. These legal requests target data held by Discord, Valve, and Reddit following a lawsuit alleging DMCA anti-circumvention violations.

Why it matters

The case highlights the ongoing legal friction between digital rights management providers and software crackers. Denuvo is narrowing its legal dragnet to identify the person behind the pseudonym and pursue further action for DRM circumvention.

The court approved nine subpoenas after rejecting an initial request for 46, specifically targeting information for seven Steam profiles. These subpoenas seek to collect names, email addresses, financial transaction data, and physical addresses from platform providers.

The players

Denuvo

A company specializing in anti-tamper and digital rights management software used to prevent the unauthorized modification of video games.

Haywood S. Gilliam Jr.

A federal judge in California presiding over the legal proceedings involving DRM circumvention claims.

Valve

The technology company behind Steam, a digital distribution platform for video games that hosts user profiles and community discussions.

Discord

A communications platform used for voice, video, and text chat, frequently utilized by online gaming communities.

A social news and discussion website where the cracker previously maintained a presence before deleting their account.

The details

Denuvo is pursuing legal action for DMCA anti-circumvention violations, which cover the unauthorized bypassing of digital locks on software. The legal process forces platforms like Discord, Valve, and Reddit to hand over identifying metadata linked to accounts suspected of facilitating these bypasses. The cracker Voices38 recently released a new software crack, prompting these escalated discovery efforts.

October 18-19, 2026: The cracker Voices38 released their latest software crack.
Early October 2026: Denuvo initiated legal action to identify the cracker.

The Tech Race

This litigation follows the established pattern of using federal subpoena power to unmask anonymous actors under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act. The move signals a tightening of enforcement efforts against software crackers who have historically operated behind pseudonyms on gaming platforms.

Users of gaming and communication platforms should note that account metadata can be subject to court-ordered disclosure in legal disputes. The practical consequence for this specific user is the deletion of their Reddit account as they attempt to remain unidentified.

The takeaway

This case underscores the reach of civil subpoenas in deanonymizing individuals across global digital platforms. Observers should track whether the data obtained from Valve and Discord leads to a successful identification of the individual behind the Voices38 pseudonym.