Dark and Darker developer Ironmace has been ordered to pay Nexon 5.7 billion won (approximately $3.84 Million USD) following a five-year long legal battle.
Reported by Korea JoongAng Daily, Ironmace lost one of two ongoing legal battles alleging that the studio infringed the copyright of Nexon’s internally-cancelled P3 project.
Ironmace has officially lost the civil suit against Nexon, while a criminal case is still ongoing. Nexon alleges that Dark and Darker was developed with stolen assets and source code from the P3 project, claiming that the cancelled project was leaked following its cancellation.
The South Korean courts have agreed that Ironmage has infringed upon the P3 copyright during the development of Dark and Darker. However, the final version of the game is not similar enough to the cancelled project to “constitute copyright infringement”. (Thanks, Automaton.)
With this in mind, Dark and Darker has not been forced to close down, although the studio does have to pay the aforementioned damages to Nexon. Additionally, appeals from both Nexon and Ironmace have both been shut down by the Korean courts.
Dark and Darker developer Ironmace has declared that it will continue to “prove its innocence” with further trials. The developer has taken issue with the current ruling, stating that the decision is “contradictory” as it claims that the game is both violating copyright while also not currently violating copyright.
Furthermore, Ironmace continues to state that it did not make use of trade secrets during the creation of Dark and Darker. As it stands, the developer states that it has full objective evidence that its game was made without the use and assistance of Nexon’s cancelled P3 project.
While the studio is still embroiled in legal battles, Ironmace is continuing to update its game for players. Dark and Darker Season 9, the latest update for the game’s early access players, launched on April 28, 2026.
This update, alongside resetting all player levels again, revamps Inferno with a new demonic horde. Additionally, players can now make use of a new ping system, party finder system, new perks, a new quick access PvP battle mode, and improved quality-of-life.
At the time of publication, Ironmace has yet to address the current court ruling with its fanbase. However, updates are still coming for the game with the latest hotfix launching earlier today.
