By Sagar V. Mankar 
A South Korean court has ruled that Ironmace must pay Nexon 8.5 billion won (about $5.9 million) for trade secret infringement related to the development of Dark and Darker. The long-running legal dispute reached a conclusion on February 13 when the Seoul Central District Court delivered its verdict.
According to ChosunBiz, while the court found Ironmace guilty of “trade secret violations,” it rejected Nexon’s claims of “copyright infringement.” This crucial distinction means Ironmace can continue developing and operating Dark and Darker despite the financial penalty.
The legal battle began years before Dark and Darker became popular on Steam. Nexon filed its lawsuit in August 2021, claiming that Ironmace used Nexon’s trade secrets from a scrapped project (P3) to develop Dark and Darker. The publisher pointed out that several Ironmace developers, including CEO Terence Park Seung-ha, had previously worked at Nexon on this unreleased game which bore striking similarities to what eventually became Dark and Darker.
Furthermore, Nexon alleged that a developer named Choi, who oversaw Project P3’s development, leaked source code and data to a personal server before establishing Ironmace to create Dark and Darker. While the court acknowledged the trade secret violation, it determined this did not constitute copyright infringement.
This legal battle is distinct from an earlier lawsuit Nexon filed against Ironmace in the United States in March 2023, which led to the removal of Dark and Darker from the Steam platform. However, the case was dismissed after the court ruled it to be “outside its jurisdiction” and ordered to reinstate the game in early 2024.
Despite these legal challenges, Dark and Darker has managed to find commercial success. According to data from Gamalytic, the game has generated over $13.2 million in gross revenue on Steam alone. The title is also available via its official website and the Epic Games Store, which means more revenue streams.
Furthermore, Ironmace is also bringing the mobile port of the game with the help of PUBG developer Krafton. The soft launch of Dark and Darker Mobile occurred on February 5 in Canada and the USA, with a broader release expected in the first half of 2025.
The game’s reception among players, however, has been mixed, with 64% positive reviews on Steam. While many praise the core gameplay, some players have expressed frustration with the game’s anti-cheat measures and the developers’ approach to implementing updates.
As of now, neither company has released official statements regarding the verdict.