TRUST · SAFETY · ANTIVIRUS · BANS
Is DXVK safe to use?
How we checked this
The three real risks
| Risk | What it is | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Fake downloads | Lookalike sites that repackage DXVK, or serve something else. | Download only from github.com/doitsujin/dxvk and check the hash (below). The download page lists lookalikes we saw. |
| Bans in online games | Anti-cheat can treat swapped Direct3D DLLs as cheating. | Never use DXVK in online or multiplayer modes. |
| Instability | DXVK is unsupported on Windows by its developers, so a game can fail or misbehave. | It is easy to undo: delete the DLLs (see the uninstall guide). |
No rows match.
Check your files
Drop a DXVK DLL or the archive here. The check runs on your device and compares the file’s SHA-256 with every official release.
Drop DXVK .dll files, a dxvk-x.y.z.tar.gz or a .zip here
Knows DXVK releases up to 3.1.1
Antivirus warnings on DXVK files
People have reported alerts on DXVK files. On the project’s tracker (issue 5762, 2026), a user reported ClamAV flagging the official 3.0 x32 d3d11.dll as a generic trojan. We have not tested any antivirus product, and we have no VirusTotal results: we did not run detection scans, so we publish no detection counts. What we can say is what the files are: unsigned DLLs that sit in a game’s folder and take the place of Windows’ Direct3D, which is the kind of behaviour generic heuristics look at (our reading, not a vendor statement).
If your antivirus flags a DXVK file:
- Hash the file with the verifier above. A match means it is the exact file the developers published.
- If it matches, report the false positive to your antivirus vendor.
- If it does not match, delete it and download again from the official page.
- Do not switch your antivirus off.
You can also search the file’s SHA-256 on VirusTotal; the verifier gives you a link that searches by hash and never uploads the file.
Can DXVK get you banned?
The DXVK README is direct: manipulating Direct3D libraries in multi-player games may be considered cheating and can get your account banned. This may also apply to single-player games with an embedded or dedicated multiplayer portion. Use at your own risk. Our rule: never in online or multiplayer modes.
We list no specific anti-cheat products or ban cases here, because we have not verified any. Proton on Linux is a different situation, because Valve ships DXVK as part of it; how that interacts with a particular anti-cheat is for that game’s own page. A game with a clear online part and a page of its own is GTA V. A game with a clear online part and a page of its own is GTA V.
Is the source trustworthy?
DXVK is open source under the zlib licence (copyright lines for Philip Rebohle, Joshua Ashton, Robin Kertels and Jeffrey Ellison in the LICENSE file at 3.1.1). Its lead developer, Philip Rebohle (doitsujin), made the first commit in October 2017 and all releases are tagged in the public repository. The README points to development builds made by GitHub Actions. “Unsigned” means the DLLs carry no code-signing certificate, so Windows cannot tell you who published them; that is why the hash check matters.
What DXVK does not do
On Windows we observed no installer and no registry change: putting the DLLs next to a game’s .exe was enough, and deleting them undid it (F02, F12). We did not record network activity or system changes with monitoring tools, so we make no claim about what DXVK does or does not send over a network beyond reading its source, which we did not audit.
If your antivirus flagged a DXVK file
Follow the four steps above. Then, if you use DXVK on a game with anti-cheat, reconsider: the ban risk is the bigger one.
Questions people ask
Is DXVK a virus?
No. It is open-source software (zlib licence) published by its developers on GitHub. Fake sites that repackage it are a separate risk, which is why the file's hash is worth checking.
Why does my antivirus flag d3d9.dll or d3d11.dll?
Reports exist on the DXVK issue tracker, including ClamAV flagging an official 3.0 DLL as a generic trojan (issue 5762). Hash the file with the verifier: a match means it is the official file, and a flag on an official file is most likely a false positive. Report it to your antivirus vendor; do not turn the antivirus off.
Can I get banned for using DXVK?
In online games, yes. The DXVK README says manipulating Direct3D libraries in multi-player games may be considered cheating and can get your account banned, including single-player games with an embedded multiplayer portion. Use it offline.
Is DXVK safe for Steam games?
Offline single-player games are the low-risk case. On Linux, Proton already bundles DXVK. On Windows, swapping DLLs in an online game is the risk described above.
Is dxvk.org official?
Treat nothing but github.com/doitsujin/dxvk as official. Our download page lists lookalike sites we saw.
Sources
- DXVK README at v3.1.1 (online multi-player games) · accessed 2026-11-07
- DXVK issue 5762: files triggering antivirus · accessed 2026-11-07
- DXVK LICENSE at v3.1.1 (zlib) · accessed 2026-11-07
- DXVK wiki: Windows · accessed 2026-11-07