As the Dark and Dark early access launch continues, Ironmace has confirmed already that the RPG game will feature microtransactions, and that it is deploying a range of fixes to help with stuttering issues. Now the developer says it is introducing a controversial feature found in other seasonal games such as Diablo 4, Rust, and Escape from Tarkov, as it also works towards the full Dark and Darker release date. If you’ve spent a while building and refining your Dark and Darker character, they might not be around forever.
Ironmace has confirmed already that Dark and Darker will “realistically” have to include microtransactions. Now the developer says it will introduce seasonal character wipes, and offers a potential time frame for how long each season will run. As part of a recent Q and A, the developer is asked “are wipes planned?” The response may be frustrating for players who prefer to keep their character builds long-term.
“Yes, there will be wipes at the start of each season and preseason,” Ironmace says. “There will not be a wipe when the leaderboard opens on [Monday] August 13 [and Tuesday, August] 14. We implemented the countdown because we foresaw bumps during the first week of the launch and wanted to get most of the game-breaking bugs fixed before everyone started to compete for the rankings.
“Our current thinking is to have three-month seasons,” the developer continues, “but this may change as we collect more data. We have not finalized this decision yet.”
Ironmace also discusses the game’s potential return to Steam, after it was delisted among a lawsuit with publishing Nexon. As part of the Q and A, Ironmace is asked whether players who already own Dark and Darker will need to purchase it again if it launches on Valve’s platform and they want to access it there as well.
“We do not know,” Ironmace says. “We do hope to get back on Steam in the future and we will be better prepared to answer this question at that time. However, we will do everything possible to have the player pool shared between the PC platforms, like they are currently between Chafgames and Blacksmith users.”
With seasonal wipes in the way, you should familiarize yourself with all the Dark and Darker classes, so you can make the best choice for your next build. Alternatively, try some of the other best multiplayer games currently available on PC.