Dark and Darker Lawsuit with Nexon Dismissed, but There's a Catch

Summary

Dark and Darkerdeveloper Ironmace has persuaded a US court to dismiss the lawsuit that led to the fantasy extraction game being removed from Steam. The lawsuit and Valve’s decision to de-platformDark and Darkercame at a time when thePCgame was seeing viral success. WhileDark and Darkerremains off of Steam, the dismissal of the lawsuit could open the door to the game’s eventual return. But Ironmace’s legal troubles may not be over.

The development ofDark and Darkertook influence from the work Ironmace’s founders did for their previous employer, Nexon. Ironmace has said repeatedly that while Nexon’sProject P3is similar in some ways toDark and Darker, the new game is entirely separate and no copyrighted material has been used in its development. Nexon didn’t agree and filed a lawsuitallegingDark and Darkerdid use illegally obtained materials. Ironmace has claimed this was a “bullying tactic” from Nexon meant to hurtDark and Darkeras it gained popularity.

RELATED:Dark and Darker Releases New Update

WhetherDark and Darkerutilized copyrighted materials from Nexon’sProject P3will not be decided in a US court, it seems. Nexon’s case has now been dismissed, with the court agreeing with Ironmace that the US was the incorrect jurisdiction for the lawsuit. That doesn’t mean that the situation has been remedied, however. Nexon continues its legal efforts against Ironmace in South Korea, which the US court agrees is the correct place for a decision to be made. Both Nexon and Ironmace are based in South Korea.

What this means forDark and Darkerin the short term isn’t entirely clear. Ironmace appears to be hopeful that it willlead toDark and Darkerreturning to Steam, though. A statement from the company mentions thatDark and Darkercould return to “US-based gaming platforms” soon. Valve has made no indication whether it will bringDark and Darkerback to Steam now that the lawsuit has been dismissed.

Development ofDark and Darkercontinues to move forward without Steam’s support. Thefirst-person fantasy extraction gamewas recently launched in early access. It can be purchased for $35 through the officialDark and Darkerwebsite.

The path forward for Ironmace isn’t obvious. While there’s a good amount of attentionsurroundingDark and Darker’s early access launch, it likely pales compared to what it could be ifDark and Darkerwas on Steam. Twitch viewership is high, but already shrinking, and overall pales in comparison to the game’s Steam alpha tests.Dark and Darkermay genuinely be a great game, but it just goes to show that without Steam’s support even great games can struggle.

Dark and Darkeris available now in early access on PC.

MORE:Where & How to Play Dark and Darker