The legal fight between Nexon and Dark and Darker has not stopped. Recently, the developer announced in their Discord that the game had been delisted from the Epic Games Store. Previously, it had been removed from Steam for some time before returning. All of this started because Nexon accused Ironmace of copyright infringement. Some staff members of the development team were reportedly fired from Nexon due to “disciplinary” issues before they went on to work at Ironmace. Allegedly, these same employees used assets and materials that should have belonged to Nexon while developing Dark and Darker.
As the legal fight continued, Nexon sent a cease-and-desist demand, which led to the game’s removal from Steam in March 2023. In January 2024, the court dismissed Nexon’s request for an injunction, which had aimed to block Dark and Darker from being released. This decision ultimately made the game available on Steam again in June 2024.
Eventually, the South Korean court ruled that Ironmace had not committed any copyright infringement. However, the development studio didn’t walk away unscathed. The court also determined that Ironmace had infringed on Nexon’s trade secrets, imposing a $6 million USD penalty on the studio.
It’s Only the Beginning
Although this may seem like the end of the legal battle, Nexon refuses to back down just yet, and now the game has been delisted from the Epic Games Store. “This decision appears to be based on claims made by opposing parties in the ongoing legal dispute. We are currently working to understand the exact reasoning behind this removal,” Ironmace said on Discord.
The developer explained that the removal process isn’t fully complete—although the main game is no longer available, Legendary Status is still available for purchase. Ironmace also promised to consider alternative methods for players to buy the game in case it becomes unavailable on the Epic Games Store.
Note that while Dark and Darker cannot be purchased at the moment, those who have already bought a copy can still launch the game. This decision only prevents new players from buying the game.
Many fans are displeased to hear the news. They do not like how the company continues to harass Ironmace. “F Nexon. All my homies hate Nexon,” one Redditor commented. Many expressed concern about Ironmace’s situation, afraid that this might end up with the game being removed from Steam again.
