The error blocks players from launching the game due to a conflict between Windows security policies, antivirus updates, and the game's built-in Denuvo Anti-Tamper DRM system . This issue primarily occurs when modern Windows security updates block the kernel-level Denuvo driver from initializing.
Download and reinstall the latest packages.
The most frequent cause of this error is Windows Security flagging the Denuvo driver execution file as a false positive, subsequently blocking or deleting the driver file.
To resolve the Denuvo driver error in Football Manager 2018, try the following troubleshooting steps: football manager 2018 failed to start denuvo driver
The simplest and most common fix is ensuring the game has the necessary permissions to launch its drivers.
Restart your PC and repeatedly press your motherboard's BIOS key—usually .
Windows security features like Memory Integrity actively block unsigned or legacy kernel drivers from executing. The error blocks players from launching the game
The "Failed to start Denuvo driver" error highlights a much larger and long-standing point of contention between game developers and a segment of the PC gaming community: the use of Denuvo DRM.
If you use software like Avast, AVG, Bitdefender, or Kaspersky, open its settings menu. Add both fm.exe and the entire installation directory to the Exceptions or Whitelist section.
FM2018 relies on this system to launch. The "driver" mentioned in the error is a specific file (often named Denuvo64.sys ) that handles this security check. If Windows blocks this driver or if the file becomes corrupted, the game assumes something is wrong and refuses to start. The most frequent cause of this error is
Final verdict (short)
: Before anything else, let Steam check its own work.
Try uninstalling the most recent update to see if compatibility is restored. General Troubleshooting
Likely causes (most common)