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Photo = Krafton |
[Alpha Biz= Kim Jisun] Krafton has decided to rename the mobile version of Dark and Darker, a dungeon escape game developed by Ironmace, instead of launching it under the original title.
According to the gaming industry on Wednesday, Krafton announced internally that it had mutually agreed with Ironmace to terminate their exclusive global licensing contract for the Dark and Darker intellectual property (IP). As a result, the game initially planned for release as Dark and Darker Mobile will be launched under a different name. Krafton had already soft-launched the game in Canada on February 5 and was preparing for a phased global rollout within the first half of the year.
Some industry insiders speculate that Krafton’s decision may have been influenced by the recent court ruling in the lawsuit between Nexon and Ironmace. On February 13, the Seoul Central District Court ruled that while Ironmace’s release of Dark and Darker did not infringe Nexon’s copyright, the company was liable for damages amounting to KRW 8.5 billion (approximately $6.4 million) due to misappropriation of trade secrets.
Given this legal backdrop, some believe Krafton may have felt uneasy about releasing a game based on the Dark and Darker IP. However, a Krafton representative stated, “This decision is unrelated to the legal dispute and court ruling.”
While Krafton and Ironmace mutually agreed to terminate the contract, differences in perspective suggest further discussions may be needed. Krafton intends to proceed with the game’s launch under a new name, whereas Ironmace has emphasized the protection of its IP rights.
AlphaBIZ Kim Jisun(stockmk2020@alphabiz.co.kr)
