Dark and Darker Confirms Final Free Playtest Schedule

gamerant.com:

Dark and Darker developer Ironmace has announced its plans for the fantasy Escape from Tarkov-like's next, and final, free playtest. The dramatic rise in popularity of Dark and Darker since the game first started playtesting, going from an unknown indie PC project to a viral success over a span of months, has been a sight to behold. Now Ironmace is preparing for Dark and Darker's next chapter, but not before it provides fans one more opportunity to try before they buy.

The latest news from Ironmace has been delivered following the wrapup of its most successful playtest yet, the Dark and Darker Alpha Playtest #4. The playtest ran from February 6 through February 16 and, according to Ironmace, was tried by over two million players on Steam. Like with previous playtests, Ironmace added a substantial amount of new content to the game for testing. New features included the solo Goblin Caves experience, in-game voice chat, additional weapon, armor, and spell options, and much more.

Dark and Darker Devs Deny Using Stolen Assets and Code

Fans can expect Dark and Darker to receive a similarly-sized update for its next test when it arrives in April. Ironmace confirmed on its official Discord that Dark and Darker will return for Alpha Playtest 5 between April 14 and 19, likely with additional days added toward the end like with prior tests. While many Dark and Darker players were likely hoping for a quicker turnaround, Ironmace says it wants to take the time to add some «pretty substantial additions» to the game.

The April Dark and Darker playtest will once again be free to access, but fans should be aware that this may be the final playtest. Ironmace says that the April playtest is a result of the studio's decision to schedule one