The burning question is whether Ironmace will see the success Dark and Darker has built and decide to soft launch the game earlier than planned.

February's test may even go well beyond a million players. For a game with a relatively niche audience prior to December, that's a staggering accomplishment. What Ironmace did confirm is that over a million players joined the December playtest. No further information regarding the upcoming Dark and Darker playtest was provided, so it's unclear if there will be any new features or content.

Steam's upcoming Next Fest will run between February 6-13, 2023. Suffice to say, it's a great opportunity for Dark and Darker. The Next Fest is a Valve event during which indie developers share demos of their in-development projects, hoping to draw in an audience that would love their game but don't even know it exists yet. As the previous alpha test ended, Ironmace confirmed plans to bring back the alpha in February 2023.ĭark and Darker's next alpha test will officially run during the upcoming Steam Next Fest event in February 2023. Instead, it's looking to maintain the cadence of Dark and Darker free alpha tests. Even a beta launch would require a significant amount of work. It's not like Ironmace can rush the game's launch, however. Needless to say, Dark and Darker now has a lot of momentum. RELATED: Escape from Tarkov Update 0.13 is Available to Download Now

Several major Twitch streamers played Dark and Darker quite a bit, leading to thousands of players trying the game out. The Dark and Darker tests have been increasingly popular, but it was December's test that struck gold. It's held multiple free alpha tests now, at a cadence of a test every 2-3 months. Ironmace has bet on itself, however, and decided to use alpha tests to not only help with development but also to market the game. Now players are anxious for Dark and Darker to return.ĭark and Darker is currently in mid-development with a tentative release date of late 2023. Dark and Darker could be that game, as the fantasy action game's latest alpha grew virally popular. Much like in the early days of battle royale popularity, an increasing number of Tarkov-like online multiplayer games seek to become the 'breakthrough' release that goes mainstream. Dark and Darker will be returning soon, as expected, as developer Ironmace has confirmed plans for another free alpha test in the near future.

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