Epic will remove Dark and Darker due to a legal dispute

The decision to remove Dark and Darker from the Epic Games Store has a set date: starting from November 1, 2025, not even players who already own the title will be able to access it through the platform. The information was sent via email by Epic Games themselves this Tuesday, June 17, finally closing the game's cycle in the store.

The reason for the removal is a legal dispute between the developer Ironmace and the publisher Nexon, which has been going on for months. In February 2025, a court in South Korea ordered Ironmace to pay $6 million for the improper use of trade secrets related to an old prototype of Nexon, internally known as P3. The court, however, ruled that there was no copyright infringement, allowing the continued sale of Dark and Darker on other platforms.

Even so, Epic Games chose not to keep the game in their store. Since December 2024, the company had already stopped offering the title to new players. Now, in addition to removing access for those who already owned it, they also discontinued the sale of Redstone Shards and the Legendary State, which unlocked the main functions of the game. It is worth noting that this pass was offered for free during the store's year-end promotions.

For consumers who purchased the Legendary State, Epic Games confirmed that they will receive a full refund through the same payment methods originally used. On the other hand, those who invested in Redstone Shards will not be entitled to any refund, only being able to use the resources until November 1, 2025.

The case reignites the discussion about the risks of buying games exclusively digital and tied to specific platforms. This is not the first time a legal decision has affected the availability of a title purchased online, but the total access block after removal raises concerns among players about the future of other games in similar situations.