Dungeon Crawler Dark and Darker Restores Its Reputation After Legal Problems
Dark and Darker is still awaiting a court ruling in South Korea, but at least the local age rating agency has now finally rated the game.
Ironmace has good reason to celebrate. Dark and Darker has received an official age rating in Korea despite the ongoing legal proceedings. The developers announced the news on the game's channel on Discord.
For Western gamers, the information may not matter much, as the court has long since dismissed the lawsuit filed by Nexon in the US. The problem is that the case of alleged asset theft remains unresolved in South Korea. As this is the country of both the creators and the would-be publisher, it is the verdict of the local court that will be crucial to the case (which, by the way, was the reason for the quick settlement in the Seattle).
The fact that Dark and Darker got an age rating by no means signifies closure of the case in favor of the developer (which, by the way, is dragging on, among other things, due to additional materials provided by both sides). Nevertheless, the issue was supposed to be discussed in court, so granting the game an age category is a good sign for Ironmace (Reddit)
Dark and Darker 30% off for two more weeks
What's more, the team also mentioned that is preparing to "officially support" DaD in their country and wants Korean players to have a chance to take part in the current sale. This suggests that the developers are confident of an imminent court settlement in their favor. Given that back in July an arrest and search warrant was issued for the studio (though rejected by police; via Game World Observer / Reddit ), it's hardly surprising that the developer is celebrating this small success.
Speaking of which: the developers have extended the Christmas sale in Dark and Darker until January 18. Thus, players have additional two weeks to purchase both editions of the game (standard and Founder's Edition: Hold the Line) 30% off. If South Korean gamers are indeed to participate, it would mean that the dismissal of the lawsuit is very close.
Unfortunately, for the time being, this doesn't mean the game's return to Steam. Valve will not allow for the relisting of Dark and Darker on its platform until the dispute in South Korea is resolved.
