Game cracking

Game cracking was the 1980s–90s precursor to modern keygen research. Crackers broke copy protection by modifying machine code, stripping license checks, and reverse-engineering key generators so that pirated copies could run freely. The most famous cracking group, Fairlight, could crack a newly released game and distribute a cracked version within hours, often bundled with an intro that displayed the group's logo and credentials. Successful cracking required deep knowledge of disassembly, cryptographic math, and intimate understanding of how different copy protection schemes worked at the hardware level. A skilled cracker earned enormous prestige within the scene.