Dark and Darker Mobile is still on track to release this year, with a global beta slated for August, publisher Krafton has announced.
Following a beta in South Korea in April that ran for four days and saw more than 50,000 players sign-up to participate, Krafton is moving forward with its plans to get the mobile adaptation of Ironmace’s fantasy-themed extraction game into the hands of more players. The global beta will implement feedback from the April Korean test and will feature additional content for players to experiment with.
Dark and Darker Mobile sets itself apart from its PC counterpart in a few key ways, namely in that it features a separate PvE-only mode in addition to the PvPvE the original is known for. It also introduces a Sidekick system where NPC companions can accompany players into the dungeon, something not seen in the desktop version. Krafton has promised additional endgame content and unique rewards as well. The game is targeting a full release later this year.
As for the desktop version of Dark and Darker, it finally returned to Steam as part of Summer Game Fest, following a long series of legal copyright battles with Nexon that saw it originally removed from the platform for copyright infringement. Nexon accused developer Ironmace of stealing code and assets from a canceled Nexon project to create Dark and Darker, allegations Ironmace, which is largely made up of former Nexon employees, has denied. A copyright lawsuit filed by Nexon in the US on the issue was dismissed last year, paving the way for the game’s return to major platforms like Steam and its debut on the Epic Game Store. Prior to its return to major PC storefronts, Ironmace made Dark and Darker available directly through its own website and launcher.
Dark and Darker is technically playable now for free, though it has drawn criticism for its current “free-to-play” label on PC storefronts, as the game’s free starter account serves more as a limited trial or demo as opposed to a true free-to-play experience. The full game, including multiple character slots, a shared stash, and access higher-level dungeons only becomes accessible after purchasing “Legendary” status for $30. Ironmace released a statement on June 9, stating it “did not intend to deceive our players” and will be making changes to its free-to-play implementation soon.
