PUBG Owners Are Bringing Dark and Darker to Mobile
Dark and Darker is heading to mobile devices despite legal woes.
The extraction game Dark and Darker that launched recently in early access is coming to mobile devices, too, despite legal troubles that its developer Ironmace Games is still working through. While Ironmace will be focusing on the PC version of the game that's playable now, the mobile version will be handled by Krafton, the owners of PUBG: Battlegrounds who also has mobile experience through things like PUBG Mobile and new State Mobile. No release date for the mobile version of the game was shared when it was announced, but Krafton did comment on the legal situation and said that it would be monitoring things as a third party.
In a press release announcing the mobile plans, Krafton pointed to the success of Dark and Darker so far despite only being in early access for awhile and praised the game's take on the extraction genre.
"We've been watching Dark and Darker's potential and distinct creativity with great interest," said Rafael Lim, the senior head of publishing at Krafton. "From the genre to the setting of the overall IP, Dark and Darker tapped into something compelling with its existing PC release. Here at Krafton, we can't wait to share these exciting dungeon runs with a whole new community of fans on mobile."
What Is Dark and Darker?
If you haven't heard of Dark and Darker, that's not too difficult to believe considering how the game's not on any major storefront like Steam. It once was, but it was taken down due to legal troubles. It's the first game from Ironmace Games, though the developers have a history working with other companies like Nexon prior to developing Dark and Darker.
While most extraction-type games are focused on shooter mechanics, Dark and Darker differs in that it puts players in a fantasy setting where archetypal classes delve into dungeons to get as much loot as possible and safely extract. It's got PvPvE elements to it, and right now, the only way to play it is to buy it from the game's site as opposed to through Steam or other normal platform.
Dark and Darker Legal Problems
In a statement provided to GamesIndustry.biz, Krafton said it's "monitoring any judicial decisions as a third party" when it comes to Dark and Darker's legal situation. That situation involves ongoing legal battles with Nexon, the publisher at which many of the Ironmace developers previously worked. Nexon alleged that Dark and Darker used assets from the canceled project P3 which Nexon was working on, a game that basically looked just like Dark and Darker.
Ironmace of course denied those claims, but the game was removed from Steam regardless while the legal situation was sorted out. No resolution has been reached yet, so Ironmace found a new publisher to help with the game, Chaf Games, to bring it to early access. That early access release has been somewhat marred by optional purchases which some have said are pay-to-win, but for those who've been waiting after getting hooked on playtests, they at least have a way to play Dark and Darker now.
