Ironmace announced that a court has denied Nexon’s request for a temporary restraining order after the publisher claimed that Dark and Darker was developed using code stolen from a game created for Nexon. In a message to players on his Discord server, Ironmace’s creator, known as SDF, stated that the court rejected Nexon’s claims of “violation of trade secrets and copyright infringement,” thereby dismissing suspicions that Dark and Darker was made using Nexon’s trade secrets. Additionally, the court ruled that Dark and Darker should not be halted solely based on Nexon’s claims and evidence, leading to the game’s return to Steam.
Let’s Play Dark and Darker – TRY NOT TO DIE! Black and Darker Steam Next Fest Demo Let’s Play Dark and Darker – TRY NOT TO DIE! Dark and Darker Steam Next Fest Demo. “Nexon’s motion to file a preliminary injunction against Ironmace for trade secrets and copyright infringement is denied,” stated Ironmace’s SDF in a message posted on the official Discord server and translated from Korean. “The court determined that ‘Ironmace games cannot be construed as infringing Nexon’s rights or trade secrets,’ thus dismissing the allegations that Dark and Darker was created using Nexon’s trade secrets and infringed on its records. Additionally, the court ruled that Dark and Darker should not be stopped based solely on Nexon’s statements and evidence. SDF claims that Nexon did not include their game, called P3, as evidence, even though Nexon asserts that Darker and Darker were derived from P3 code. However, they acknowledged the court’s verdict on Nexon’s unfair competition as “frustrating.” The court’s rejection of Nexon’s request for a temporary restraining order was due to the necessity for a fair trial and hearing, according to the temporary restraining order. SDF concluded that “the truth about the injustice of Nexon’s claims and the innocence of Ironmace” will be revealed through a thorough examination of the evidence in the main case. He also conveyed gratitude to players worldwide for their support and expressed Ironmace’s intention to “invest and do everything we can to make Dark and Darker a durable game that can be utilized for over a decade.” Nexon has not publicly commented on the decision or confirmed whether it plans to appeal (thanks, TheGamer). As previously detailed by Victoria, the Korean developer responsible for the medieval-themed game Dark and Darker had its office searched following allegations that the studio utilized stolen code in their game. Furthermore, Ironmace received a cease and desist letter and a DMCA takedown from Nexon, both of which the developer claimed were “based on false allegations.” Consequently, Dark and Darker was removed from Steam. Subsequently, Ironmace used ChatGPT to validate that the game did not infringe on copyright. Now, however, Dark and Darker is once again available on the internet, even in its early stages, after Ironmace opted to develop its own launcher, known as Blacksmith, and sell the game directly through their website and via Chaf Games. In case you missed it, Dark and Darker is making its way to mobile platforms. Krafton, the publisher of PUBG: Battlegrounds, has obtained the rights to bring the RPG to mobile devices, commending the game’s “remarkable craftsmanship” and affirming that developer Ironmace “made a compelling case.” Additionally, did you know that Dark and Darker now has its own coffee shop?
