Krafton Considering Name Change for Dark & Darker Mobile

Dark and Darker Mobile, the eagerly anticipated smartphone adaptation of the hack 'n slash extraction dungeon crawler, is reportedly set for a significant transformation. Recent reports suggest that Krafton, the game's publisher, is not only planning to change the game's name but also to terminate its agreement with the developer, Ironmace Studio.

This news arrives at a challenging time for Ironmace, following a court order to pay $6 million in damages to Nexon due to an ongoing lawsuit. The lawsuit stems from allegations that Ironmace, founded by former Nexon employees, utilized trade secrets from a cancelled Nexon project codenamed P3 to develop Dark and Darker.

While Krafton has stated that the name change is unrelated to the lawsuit's ruling, they have also confirmed the termination of their global licensing agreement with Ironmace. This means that Dark and Darker Mobile—or whatever it may be renamed—will proceed as a standalone release.

The ethical dimensions of this lawsuit are complex, especially considering that Ironmace initially filed a suit against Nexon for copyright infringement. Despite the end of their partnership, it appears that Krafton intends to rebrand and continue with the project. This development suggests a broader trend towards games in this genre.

For fans eagerly awaiting Dark and Darker Mobile, there is some reassurance: Krafton plans to adhere to the previously announced global release schedule. However, any changes to this plan or further developments in this saga will be promptly shared.

We remain hopeful that the full launch of Dark and Darker Mobile will uphold the high standards we celebrated in our review.