The dungeon crawler Dark and Darker was a real surprise hit on Steam with its first playtests. Now the game is no longer available and continues to face serious allegations.
What is Dark and Darker?
- Dark and Darker is a dungeon crawler with a PvP focus, developed by the indie studio Ironmace. The title is set to be released on Steam and has already offered several playtests on the platform that excited thousands of players.
- The gameplay of Dark and Darker resembles extraction shooters like Escape from Tarkov – but without shooting. Within a match, you fight in teams of three for loot. If you die in an ongoing round, you lose your loot.
- Dark and Darker features a medieval fantasy setting. In addition to magic and sorcery, you can use swords and shields as well as ranged weapons such as a crossbow.
If you want a clearer idea of Dark and Darker, we are embedding the gameplay teaser here:
Why is Dark and Darker no longer available on Steam? On March 25, the developers announced on the game’s Discord server that they are fighting a cease and desist letter and a DMCA takedown notice.
To all our fans: We recently received a cease and desist letter and a DMCA takedown notice from Nexon regarding Dark and Darker, which is based on distorted claims. We are currently working with our legal team to resolve this matter as best as possible.
Due to the sensitive legal nature of this matter, we need to be cautious with our statements to avoid jeopardizing our position. We ask for your understanding as we work to make the game available again as soon as possible. Please be assured that we will do everything possible for our fans. Thank you!
Dark and Darker via Discord
Some Reddit users also noticed that the game is no longer found on Steam (via Reddit). On the official Dark and Darker website, which previously had a Steam link, it now shows that the content could not be found.
Serious allegations against Ironmace and Dark and Darker
What are the plagiarism allegations about? As Ironmace confirmed on their Discord server, the allegations come from the South Korean developer studio and publisher Nexon.
According to a South Korean magazine, the founder of Ironmace previously worked at Nexon, where a project was presented in 2021 that is quite similar to what Dark and Darker is (via n.news.naver.com).
Even though the project at Nexon was canceled, the publisher accuses Ironmace of stealing the idea and using parts of the code and assets that belong to Nexon. In early March, there was even a police search of Ironmace’s office.
Impact on the next playtest Dark and Darker had actually announced another playtest for April 2023, but how the current issues surrounding the game will affect this test is not yet known. However, it is to be expected that the test may be postponed indefinitely.
All information regarding the announced playtest in April can be found on MeinMMO:
