Game Over for Dark and Darker Lawsuit: Nexon's Surprising Victory Unveils Unexpected Twist
The controversial lawsuit against fantasy extraction game Dark and Darker, resulting in its removal from Steam, has been dismissed However, the twists and turns of this legal battle may hint at a continuation of the story
Highlights
Dark and Darker has been removed from Steam due to a lawsuit, but the dismissal of the lawsuit could potentially lead to its return on the platform.
Ironmace, the developer of Dark and Darker, asserts that the game does not incorporate copyrighted content from Nexon's Project P3, despite allegations from Nexon.
Although the lawsuit has been dismissed by the US court, Nexon is persevering with legal action against Ironmace in South Korea, the appropriate jurisdiction. The immediate fate of Dark and Darker remains uncertain.
Dark and Darker developer Ironmace successfully convinced a US court to dismiss the lawsuit that resulted in the removal of their fantasy extraction game from Steam. This legal action and Valve's decision to de-platform Dark and Darker occurred during a period of significant viral success for the PC game. Although Dark and Darker remains unavailable on Steam, the dismissal of the lawsuit raises the possibility of the game eventually making a comeback. However, Ironmace may still face further legal challenges.
The development of Dark and Darker drew inspiration from the previous work of Ironmace's founders at Nexon, their former employer. Ironmace has consistently stated that, despite similarities to Nexon's Project P3, Dark and Darker is a completely independent game with no utilization of copyrighted materials. Nexon, on the other hand, disagreed and filed a lawsuit alleging that Dark and Darker had illegally incorporated their materials. Ironmace has accused Nexon of using this lawsuit as a "bullying tactic" in an attempt to harm Dark and Darker as it gained popularity.
The resolution of whether Dark and Darker used copyrighted materials from Nexon's Project P3 will not be determined in a US court. Nexon's case has been dismissed as the court agrees that the lawsuit should be addressed in South Korea, where both Nexon and Ironmace are based. However, this does not mean that the situation has been entirely resolved. Nexon continues to pursue legal action against Ironmace in South Korea, seeking a decision on the matter.
The implications for Dark and Darker in the short term remain uncertain. Ironmace expresses hope that the game will be able to return to US-based gaming platforms, including Steam. However, Valve, the platform provider, has not indicated whether they will reinstate Dark and Darker on Steam now that the lawsuit has been dismissed.
Development of Dark and Darker is progressing despite the lack of support from Steam. The first-person fantasy extraction game was recently released in early access and can be purchased for $35 through the official Dark and Darker website.
The future of Ironmace is uncertain. Although there has been significant attention surrounding the early access launch of Dark and Darker, it is likely overshadowed by the potential it could have achieved on Steam. While Twitch viewership is currently high, it has already begun to decline and does not compare to the game's alpha tests on Steam. This demonstrates that even exceptional games can face challenges without the support of Steam.
Dark and Darker is available now in early access on PC.
Source: GamesRadar
