Dark and Darker legal dispute continues as Nexon files lawsuit

polygon.com:

Nexon, the publisher behind MapleStory and other online games, is embroiled in a series of legal actions against Ironmace Games, the developer of indie hit Dark and Darker. The conflict has led to a police raid, the game’s removal from Steam, and a developer-distributed torrent. With a new lawsuit, it seems as though this convoluted conflict may be far from over.

Dark and Darker is a fantasy game first made available for playtesting in 2022. Players take the role of typical fantasy classes like barbarian or mage, and then battle their way through fantasy dungeons, assaulted by both nefarious skeletons and other players.

The game has enjoyed interest during its playtests, but Ironmace has been hindered by allegations made by Nexon that Dark and Darker is created from stolen code and assets. Nexon has pursued legal action against Ironmace; in March, Nexon filed a cease and desist and DMCA takedown that led to Ironmace removing Dark and Darker from Steam. Ironmace prematurely published, then pulled, a GoFundMe with a goal of $500,000 to cover legal fees and continue to pay staff during development on Dark and Darker. With Ironmace unable to conduct its planned playtest through Steam, the developer made the game available through torrents instead.

Now Nexon is following up with a lawsuit against Ironmace, alleging copyright infringement. Nexon alleges Dark and Darker was built in part from one of the publisher’s projects, announced as “P3” in 2021, and that P3 and Dark and Darker are substantially the same game. Developers from Nexon would go on to be a part of Ironmace, a studio which describes itself as “a merry band of veteran game developers disillusioned by the exploitative and greedy practices we once helped create.”