Is Hydra Launcher piracy? See all the details about Steam’s Brazilian rival

Last week, Voxel talked about Hydra Launcher, a Brazilian application for downloading games for free. During the exclusive interview, the developers explained the main differences between the platform and the numerous alternatives known as “Steam Verde” and their perspective for starting the project. However, between the lines, Some questions are still unanswered — and we will address themlogo to follow!

If you missed out, don’t worry, we recap: Hydra Launcher, in short, is known as the true Steam of Piracy. Not only by enabling users to find “free games”, but also by provide an organized and independent local library. In this context, it is worth highlighting that the platform is not related to EcoLauncher or the Steam Verde websitebeing an independent project developed by the “Los Broxas” team.

If you’re curious, check out the details of the interview in the full Voxel article clicking this link! Or, if you prefer, watch the video version below:

But after all, Is using Hydra Launcher a crime? Is the platform safe or does it pose any risks? Check out all the details!

How does Hydra Launcher work?

To begin with, it’s important to detail how Hydra Launcher really works and its main functions. Quite simple, the platform is a link indexer, incorporated into an interface that also allows you to manage libraries. There, users can search for games and access numerous download sources with just a few clicks, in addition to adding local titles to the system.

No bureaucracy, These features can be accessed as soon as the application is launched: there is no need to create accounts, use personal data or make subscription payments — everything is completely free. During the interview with Voxel, the Hydra Launcher developers explained that, above all, its proposal was to protect user privacy and ensure an accessible experience.

Thus, Hydra Launcher does not even require an active Internet connection when browsing — only connecting when downloading. This feat is achieved through the creation of an entirely local databasefed periodically by renowned sources in the pirated gaming community.

Source: Adriano Camacho, Voxel

Source: Adriano Camacho, Voxel

Source: Adriano Camacho, Voxel

Source: Adriano Camacho, Voxel

Source: Adriano Camacho, Voxel

Source: Adriano Camacho, Voxel

To “collect” torrent addresses, Hydra Launcher performs a web scraping in the aforementioned sources — or “data scraping” in Portuguese —, identifying information such as the names of the games and the versions available for download. The entire task requires as much effort from computers as a regular internet browser.being very light and accessible for simpler machines.

Therefore, as the developers explain, Hydra Launcher does not need to be connected to an external server to work. Likewise, the platform also does not host pirated games or any other type of software — all links are obtained by consulting third-party sources.

Is Hydra Launcher safe?

After understanding how the platform works, you may be suspicious of so many benefits — after all, nothing is so advantageous without a price, right? Well, in this case, it is safe and as simple as it seems. From the beginning, the developers’ proposal sought to democratize access to games, eliminating the need for profit. Thus, Hydra Launcher is ad-free and open sourceallowing the entire community to check what exactly it does with your computer.

However, if you have installed Hydra Launcher, You must have encountered a supposed threat identified by Windows Defender or another Antivirus. According to the developers, this occurs as a false positiveespecially because the application has not been licensed by Microsoft — something that can cost around US$50,000 per year, or R$255,000 in direct conversion.

According to the developers, the virus warning in Hydra Launcher is a false positive and is not real. (Source: Adriano Camacho, Voxel)

On the other hand, while Although Hydra Launcher may be safe as an application, it is possible that some of the games made available by third-party sources have some type of threat. Although this possibility is valid, it is also unlikely, as the community would still point out the problem on third-party websites.

In other words, in summary: Hydra Launcher is only as secure as its user communitys, responsible for checking not only your code, but also games offered by third parties.

Is Hydra Launcher piracy?

No brazil, the text that defines the crime of piracy belongs to the Copyright Lawsanctioned in 1998. Without relevant revisions since then, the regulations are not updated enough to classify cases like the Hydra Launcher, as it only penalizes direct violation practices linked to direct or indirect profit-making purposes. In this way, by itself, the Brazilian platform cannot be considered “pirate” —despite his nickname.

In this way, as an application, Hydra Launcher is just a “link organizer” that facilitates access to pirated content provided by third parties. However, although the Copyright Law does not provide for severe penalties in this case, the consumption of pirated content is considered a crime in Brazil, regardless of the means of obtaining it.

Still, individual consumption of pirated content in Brazil is still treated as a misdemeanoras there are no practical ways to identify and penalize users in the digital environment — especially those who use torrents. In the United States and member countries of the European Union, the situation is different.: There, internet users can be fined and even arrested for consuming illegal media. In this international scenario, the fight against piracy started much earlier and, therefore, adapted faster in the Streaming Era.

Consuming pirated media is a crime in Brazil, regardless of its origin. (Source: Adriano Camacho, Voxel)

To circumvent the authorities, users use VPN services to download torrents. The feature essentially masks the real location of Internet users, often redirecting their connection to several other countries. Here, it is noted that Hydra Launcher does not offer a built-in VPN!

From another perspective, as mentioned in the interview with the developers, It’s even possible to argue that Hydra Launcher could be combating traditional means of piracy with its straightforward approach.. Because it is non-profit and uncomplicated, the platform “diverts” the public that would visit illegal websites, often monetized and linked to criminal organizationsand protects the user from possible digital threats.

Furthermore, not all games there are necessarily pirated. In the case of games “abandoned” by companies, also known as “abandoware”, torrents become a means of preservation — a discussion largely ignored by major studios.

Because it is a channel, What defines piracy in Hydra Launcher is the content consumed by the user — in a similar way to what happens in Stremio.

How to install Hydra Launcher?

Due to the nature of the platform, Voxel will not provide an installation tutorial for Hydra Launcher. However, thinking about protecting the reader against possible fake applications and other threats, we highlight that the official work of the Los Broxas team can be found on this GitHub.

Voxel is not responsible for any damages caused by the use of Hydra Launcher, or any other game and application mentioned in our articles.