Krafton Ends Deal with Ironmace, Dark and Darker Mobile to Get a New Name
The mobile version of the popular dungeon crawler, Dark and Darker, is facing a name change and more significant alterations. Krafton, the game's publisher, has terminated its agreement with developer Ironmace Studio. This follows a recent court ruling ordering Ironmace to pay Nexon $6 million in damages. While Krafton denies the name change is directly related to the lawsuit, the timing is certainly coincidental.
The lawsuit centers on allegations that Ironmace, founded by former Nexon employees, used trade secrets from a cancelled Nexon project (codenamed P3) to develop Dark and Darker. Ironmace initially sued Nexon for copyright infringement, adding an ironic twist to the current situation.
Despite the severed partnership, Krafton intends to proceed with the global launch of the mobile game, albeit under a new name. This makes the mobile title a fully independent release, effectively removing Ironmace's involvement. The ethical implications of the situation are complex, particularly given Krafton's apparent intention to continue development despite the circumstances.
The termination of the agreement opens the door for similar games to enter the market. While the name change and altered development path might raise concerns, the planned global release date remains unchanged, according to current statements. We will provide updates should any changes occur. We remain hopeful that the final product retains the high quality demonstrated in our previous review.
