Dark and Darker Dev Ordered to Pay Nexon $6 Million

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Summary

  • A South Korean court orders Ironmace to pay Nexon nearly $6 million in damages over a trade secrets violation.
  • The court found Ironmace not guilty of copyright infringement but liable for misappropriating Nexon’s assets.
  • Despite the judgment, Dark and Darker’s operations remain unaffected, but Nexon plans further legal action.

As a dedicated gamer, I’ve got some news that might interest fellow fans of the game “Dark and Darker.” Originating from South Korea, a court ruling has been made in a dispute between Nexon and Ironmace, the creators of this epic game. The verdict requires Ironmace to compensate Nexon with approximately $6 million USD due to damages. This game, which captivated countless players with its intense first-person fantasy extraction gameplay on PC in 2023, has now become a subject of legal proceedings. Keep an eye out for updates!

Emerging unexpectedly in 2023, the game “Dark and Darker” captivated players with its unique combination of dark fantasy elements and multiplayer extraction mechanics. Unlike many extraction games that typically draw inspiration from modern warfare or science fiction settings, “Dark and Darker” places players in the role of adventuring parties attempting to delve into a labyrinthine dungeon and make it out alive. Throughout their journey, they must navigate both the dungeon’s fearsome creatures and other players aiming to gain an advantage by eliminating opponents. Remarkably, developers Ironmace collaborated with Krafton, publishers of “PUBG Battlegrounds“, to produce a mobile version of the game as well.

Regrettably, the success of ‘Dark and Darker’, a popular first-person dungeon RPG developed by Ironmace, was halted when Nexon filed a lawsuit alleging copyright infringement. However, as reported by The Korea Times, a South Korean court has rejected Nexon’s claim of copyright infringement. Unfortunately for Ironmace, the same court also mandated them to pay Nexon approximately 8.5 billion won (around $5.7 million USD) in damages.

Dark and Darker Dev to Pay Nexon Damages Over Trade Secrets Violation

In the copyright infringement case, although Ironmace was declared not guilty, the verdict hinged upon the specifics of what constitutes copyright. Nexon asserted that the game Dark and Darker was built using assets from a scrapped project called P3. They argued that the developers of Dark and Darker, who were once employed by Nexon, departed after P3 was canceled, then established Ironmace, and modeled the gameplay of Dark and Darker on the work derived from P3.

The court determined that since P3 was never officially published, it cannot be copyrighted, thus Nexon’s claim does not apply. However, it did find Ironmace guilty of breaching Nexon’s trade secrets, which encompass information and assets with economic value due to their secrecy. The court ordered the independent studio to fully reimburse for any resulting damages.

Despite the court decision not appearing to directly threaten the operations of Dark and Darker, Nexon has indicated that they are not finished with the case. In a statement, Nexon announced their intention to pursue additional action in a higher Korean court. So far, Ironmace has remained silent on the matter, and Dark and Darker is currently operating as usual. This news should bring comfort to existing fans and potential players who recently received the Dark and Darker Legendary Status DLC through a giveaway on the Epic Game Store.

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2025-02-16 17:24