The highly anticipated game Dark and Darker, developed by Ironmace, faces yet another setback as the company announced on Discord on May 9th, 2023, that the Early Access release of the game would be “delayed a bit.” The announcement comes amidst an ongoing legal battle with gaming giant Nexon, who has raised concerns about Ironmace’s alleged utilization of assets from an abandoned project called P3.
In an official statement, Ironmace expressed their regret for not being able to communicate as freely as they would like, stating, “We truly hate not being able to communicate as freely as we usually do, however due to the sensitive nature of our current situation, we can’t divulge too much information right now.” The developers went on to assure fans that they are working tirelessly to release the game as soon as possible, asking for patience and understanding.
The legal dispute stems from Nexon’s claim that Ironmace used assets from their abandoned P3 project to create Dark and Darker. It’s worth noting that some developers at Ironmace had previously worked on the P3 project, which might explain the similarities between the two games. Ironmace, however, denies these allegations and maintains that Dark and Darker was only influenced by the P3 project but did not use any of its resources.
To date, multiple searches of the homes of Dark and Darker team members have been conducted to uncover evidence of stolen assets. Despite these efforts, no proof has been found to support Nexon’s claims that any materials from the P3 project were taken and used in the development of Dark and Darker.
Previously, Dark and Darker had been removed from Steam due to undisclosed issues, leading Ironmace to share a torrent for the game’s playtest. Unfortunately, this move resulted in a separate copyright claim. With a strong bond between the developers and players, and the latter’s willingness to go to great lengths to play the game, Dark and Darker holds significant potential if Ironmace can prevail in the legal battle.
However, even if Ironmace emerges victorious, concerns about the game’s future remain due to the substantial financial burden of legal fees and server costs. As the legal battle continues, fans eagerly await the outcome and hope for a swift resolution so that they can finally experience the long-awaited Dark and Darker game.
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