Game removed from Steam amid data theft accusations

Dark and Darker, the massively multiplayer online (MMO) game, was removed from Steam with its developer Ironmace accused of data theft from Nexon.

Dark and Darker, the massively multiplayer online (MMO) game developed by Ironmace [IRONMACE]

Dark and Darker, the massively multiplayer online (MMO) game, was removed from Steam with its developer Ironmace accused of data theft from Nexon.

“We have recently been served a cease-and-desist letter and DMCA [Digital Millennium Copyright Act] takedown by Nexon regarding Dark and Darker based on distorted claims,” said Ironmace on its official Discord channel, Saturday.

Police raided the Seongnam, Gyeonggi office of the local game developer, which is suspected of stealing assets and personnel from Nexon to make its own game Dark and Darker.

In 2021, Nexon fired and reported a former chief of its “P3” project team for leaking the game company’s data and assets while working from home during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Ironmace was founded in October 2021 — two months after Nexon fired the employee — by Park Seung-ha, who was also part of the team. Half of the 20-person P3 team quit Nexon and joined Ironmace, including the aforementioned team leader.

BY SHIN HA-NEE [shin.hanee@joongang.co.kr]