With a rising popularity and very great reception by the community, Dark and Darker, developed by Korean studio Iron Mace has been having quite a good run in alpha testing. A medieval extraction multiplayer game, this game promises quite a lot for the future. However, some controversy has arrised as of recently, just after the game’s testing ended on February 16, 2023. A reporter by the name of Kim Jae-seok, writing for the Korean publication This is Game, published an article with some accusations of asset stealing on behalf of Iron Mace. The victim of this alleged infringement being another Korean studio, called Nexon. Let us review what we know as of today. We must warn you, however, that the article itself does not present further sources for this other than conjecture, so take it with a grain of salt while the case continues to evolve.
Dark and Darker Controversy, Explained
What this article explains, in short, is this is a case that has many sides and controversies within the major controversy itself. You see, in 2021, Nexon announced a new game in a media showcase code named “P3”. It was a co-op adventure game, taking place in a medieval dungeon. Sounds familiar right? However, in 2022, “P3” changed its name to “P7” as it envisioned adding more mechanics. These included farming and the use of firearms. So far, so good.
However, during this process, some developers working on P3 were becoming disillusioned by the way the game was turning, even calling it the direction “exploitative and greedy”. We could infer that microtransactions were the reason for the fallout. They even claim that they were heavily disciplined and decided to quit Nexon altogether. That’s not a good sign. Then, these same developers joined Iron Mace and released an alpha version of Dark and Darker to the public. Supposedly, Dark and Darker recycles assets and even code from the developers’ former job at Nexon. More specifically, their work done with the P3 project.
Furthermore, Iron Mace released a statement that refers to how “game companies sell their souls for an easy payday” and how “disappointed is to see that instead of giving gamers pleasure, they become more like casinos”. This could be a jab at their former employer, which fires up the controversy even more. What also brings more doubt to the mix, is that apparently Iron Mace does not take any local media requests for interviews, while interacting with abroad Internet sites. Could they be avoiding the accusations? All we know is that Nexon could potentially seek legal action, since this wrongdoing could be breaching contracts and basic copyright law.
Related: When Does the Dark and Darker Come Out? Answered
A Storm Is Coming, Maybe
What we really now know is that this situation is about to explode. One way or another, it is a shame that company confrontations and basic human distaste for one another surrounds such an entertaining game. Again, this is all conjecture, however, as things continue to develop, we will continue addressing the issue at hand. It is unclear what will happen, all we know is that we will be there to be witnesses.
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