Nexon is suing Dark and Darker maker Ironmace for copyright infringement
Nexon files suit against Dark and Darker developer Ironmace. According to Nexon, developers behind that game, who previously worked at Nexon, violated their non-compete clause. The game was previously removed from Steam at the request of Nexon.
Nexon recently filed the lawsuit filed in a Washington courtLike this noted Eurogamer. In it, Nexon accuses the studio of copyright infringement. In the lawsuit, Nexon claims that former employees violated their non-compete clause when they started working at Ironmace. This prohibits employees from working without Nexon’s permission ‘in the same industry that could potentially infringe Nexon’s trade secrets’. The employees in question are said to have signed such a one-year agreement.
Nexon wants Ironmace to stop the development of Dark and Darker and is demanding damages. “Condoning Defendants’ conduct would threaten Nexon, the video game industry, and all consumers who enjoy playing sophisticated video games,” the lawsuit reads. “Game developers wouldn’t be able to invest years of man-hours into game development if their employees could simply transfer their employer’s project files to their own personal servers and start a new company.”
Ironmace was previously accused of copyright infringement by Nexon. According to the South Korean developer, the Ironmace team used “assets and materials” from their time at Nexon. This specifically concerns work on P3, a game currently in development at Nexon. The company shared comparative screenshots of P3 and Dark and Darker in its lawsuit, also reports YouTube channel Onepeg. Ironmace is said to have copied several in-game actions, such as the way characters “move their hands in a distinctive circular motion over chests without physically touching the chest” to open those chests.
Dark and Darker was previously removed from Steam after a cease-and-desist request from Nexon. Ironmace said at the time that the takedown was “based on distorted claims” and that it is working with its legal team to “resolve the matter in the best possible manner.”
Dark and Darker is a battle royale game in which players must escape from a medieval dungeon. Gradually the playing field becomes smaller, forcing players to meet and fight. The game revolves around a combination of PVP and PVE combat, similar to games like Escape from Tarkov. Users can take their own equipment into a dungeon and lose it when they die.
Update, 16.08: The article initially mentioned the developer ‘Irongate’. However, this had to be Ironmace. The article has been adjusted accordingly.
A comparison of P3 next to Dark and Darker