First of all, don't expose yourself to danger. Get your pirated games from reputable sources.

Most games only need a Steam emulator like Goldberg's to run without license, and you can get clean steam files from cs.rin.ru. You don't need VMs for this, it's literally the original game.

If you need an actual crack, you can also look up on cs.rin.ru and try to gauge the reputation of the uploader. You can also check fitgirl or dodirepacks, they are both highly reliable. These are unlikely to have malware, but it's not impossible.

If you want to use a vm because you still don't trust the pirated game in question (reasonable), then there is no shortcut. Use the arch wiki to learn how to setup a VM with GPU passthrough, even if you don't use arch it's always a good place to get started.

I just use a different user with no privileges to run any pirated or suspicious software.

I'm running everything that is proprietary (Steam for example) on a second user that is a not an admin account. Heroic and the like are installed via Flatpak that is sandboxed. Sometimes games contain malware, even on Steam. If something goes badly wrong, I purge that second user.

So I'm not condoning or condeming.

I would say you can dual boot linux - that is have TWO entirely separate Linux installs on your PC. Have one be your main Linux desktop, and have a separate partition which you boot into to use for riskier stuff. Just ensure it has no access at all to your other drive and be careful mouting peripherals like USB drives. That way you can get full native experience with your PC, without having to sacrifice performance for a VM set up. I would also set up a VPN to run at all times within that 2nd Linux install, with kill switch for the network if it disconnects.

OP, FYI: GPU passthrough isn't riskless (OpSec-wise), unfortunately. This Hacker News thread contains pointers if you'd wish to read up on that.

You keep talking about "safely" running these programs. What is the threat that you are trying to protect yourself against? Are you concerned that your unofficial copy of the program may contain malware, are you worried that the copyright owners may try to find you (via IP address perhaps?) and prosecute, or what.

If piratded games have malicious files its most likely for windows users, you can install repacks on Linux very easily though.

QubesOS? :D

Yo OP, in case you couldn't get GPU passthrough to work; vm-curator makes that a piece of cake, somehow even with a single GPU.

Quit thinking as a windows user now you are on Linux.

You running a pirated game with proton? Or looking to run windows inside Linux?

In any case run the game offline, disconnect the PC from internet and you should be safe.

What? It's an on line game? It's a game that need internet access to run? Then what are you complaining about? There is nothing you can do to be "safe".

Anyway running a windows game on linux with wine or proton should be safe enough from most of the possible threats (environment is too different). Running in a VM would be a serious hit on performances even if you use qemu+KVM (forget about virtual box) with all drivers set to passtrough and you give up your video card on Linux and pass it to windows

At that point, you are again at risk because e you are again running windows ...

Define your threat at least. That would make a response easier

My guess you are overthinking stuff.