Dark and Darker heads to Epic Games Store, but no word on Steam return

eurogamer.net:

Dark and Darker is heading to Epic Games Store, having previously been removed from Steam, and following a drawn out legal dispute with Nexon.

To quickly recap the situation, Ironmace — the Korean developer behind the mediaeval looter — had its office searched after allegations the studio created its game with stolen code. Ironmace was served a cease-and-desist letter and a DMCA takedown by Nexon, the fellow Korean games company where several Ironmace employees used to work. As a result, Dark and Darker was removed from Steam and Ironmace went on to use ChatGPT in a bid to prove it hadn't infringed any copyright claims.

Dark and Darker then came back online in early access last August, with Ironmace having created its own launcher, known as Blacksmith. Then, in January of this year, a court ultimately dismissed Nexon's request for an injunction.

That brings us today, with the news that Ironmace is now planning to expand Dark and Darker's net further, starting with the Epic Games Store. In a post on the game's Discord server, an Ironmace developer known as «Terence» stated the team has «increased confidence in the quality of [its] game» and as such has «started preparations on introducing Dark and Darker to a wider audience».

Terence called this move a «big preparatory step» for Ironmace and its end goal of delivering a «polished product to our fans». While Dark and Darker does not have a release date on the Epic Games Store as yet, with the storefront merely listing it as «coming soon», it is available for users to add to wishlists.

Terence did not say when Dark and Darker may return to Steam, however the developer did state Ironamce was continuing to work with «various partners to give our fans the best options and properly grow the community to foster a long and healthy game».