Even after some four years, Ironmace’s legal troubles are still dragging on.
On their Discord server and social media platform X, Ironmace, the creator of Dark and Darker, informed fans that the game is once more unavailable for purchase via the Epic Games Store.
It appears that the removal (delisting) of the game might be connected to the long-standing legal dispute that arose between the Korean developer and game publisher Nexon in 2023, preceding the release of the PvPvE fantasy extraction game.
That’s Ironmace’s assumption, at least; the reasons still aren’t completely clear, even to them.
Years Of Legal Issues
In March 2023, the legal troubles between Dark and Darker reached their climax, leading to its temporary removal from various online marketplaces after receiving a DMCA takedown request from Nexon.
Last month, the gaming company Ironmace was investigated by South Korean authorities following accusations made by Nexon. The claims were that Ironmace had created their game using stolen resources and personnel after a project leader named “P3” disclosed confidential assets, which led to the termination of this individual in 2021.
Nexon claimed that the ex-lead developer recruited some of their colleagues to create a game resembling Project P3, which they suspect is a sequel called Dark and Darker.
The legal dispute persisted throughout the year 2023, involving an unusual and brief crowdfunding campaign on GoFundMe to gather funds for their defense, which they ultimately agreed to repay. The conflict finally ended when it was reinstated, following pressure from Ironmace urging Steam to dismiss Nexon’s allegations.
As reported by Korea JoongAng Daily, South Korean courts recently decided that Ironmace did not violate Nexon’s copyright, yet they were still mandated to compensate 8.5 billion won ($5.86 million) due to stealing confidential information and disclosing company data.
At the time, Nexon pledged to appeal the dismissal of their copyright claim.
As a dedicated fan, I’m excited to share that “Dark and Darker” remains accessible on Steam, transforming into a free-to-play game following a peculiar surge of review bombing incidents in January.
As a dedicated fan, I’m excited to share that the coveted “Legendary Status” upgrade, which was offered free-of-charge for 24 hours last December, is still up for grabs on the Epic Games Store at present! This indicates that its disappearance from this platform might not be imminent yet.
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2025-03-06 23:19