Dark and Darker continues to chart a promising path ahead, following a recent and significant legal triumph over Nexon. The lawsuit, initiated by Nexon and alleging misappropriation of assets and trademark infringement, was met with staunch resistance by Ironmace. The developers stood firm, asserting that their project was built from the ground up and that they were ready to defend themselves — which they did successfully. SDF, the lead developer and creative force behind Dark and Darker, took to Discord to share updates of the victory decision from the South Korean courts, and express deep gratitude for the unwavering support during these challenging times.
The resolution of this legal hurdle marks a turning point for Ironmace, enabling them to refocus their energies on the continued development of Dark and Darker. The community is brimming with excitement for future updates, and a return to Steam is expected to attract a whole new group of players to the dungeons.
It’s been quite a journey for Ironmace. Since its inception, this scrappy new studio has been pursuing its dream of creating a game. The early tests on Steam showcased the huge potential of Dark and Darker and its growing fan base. Being removed from Steam amid the legal troubles, having to create their own launcher, and developing other supporting technologies to keep the game running represented a significant pivot. Ironmace demonstrated to the community and the gaming industry that it possesses serious grit, showing determination to persevere and push forward. Despite challenges such as servers being DDOS’d, legal pursuit by Nexon, short staffing, and limited funds, they managed to maintain Early Access.
This is undoubtedly a positive development for the gaming community, as Ironmace has persevered through these extremely challenging times. I hope people will dig deeper, looking beyond the very fun and intriguing game that is Dark and Darker, to also appreciate the team and philosophy behind it. The gaming community desperately needs more of this mentality. I encourage you to watch some of the Darkest Hour Podcasts and read Ironmace’s philosophies on game design. They aim to build something new, immersive, and captivating, refusing to adhere to the tired formulas that many large studios follow these days. They have certainly proven that they are not afraid of a challenge.
Now, Ironmace, Dark and Darker, and the gaming community can look forward to many more enjoyable and productive initiatives. A heartfelt thank you to Ironmace for their persistence and constant dedication to creating a fun and challenging game for all of us.
