The virally popular alpha playtest for hardcore multiplayer dungeon crawler Dark and Darker has been extended following a late push by fans for more time. Dark and Darker's most recent playtest has seen a dramatic spike in players, in part due to some of Twitch's most popular streamers picking up the game. It's an opportunity developer Ironmace Games wants to fully capitalize on, even if it means keeping servers online through Christmas weekend.Ironmace launched its most recent playtest, its third overall, for Dark and Darker on December 16. The plan at the time was to hold a week-long alpha test for the fantasy Tarkov-like focusing on a variety of new major features, like new High-Roller dungeon queues, new map tiles, a cosmetic shop, and significant balance changes overall. The playtest is technically invite-only, but Ironmace has been inviting playtesters instantly upon request. The result has been an incredible spike in players and followers on Steam.Discussion surrounding a playtest extension has been brewing since the start of Dark and Darker's new playtest among PC gamers, due to some initial server instability issues. Yet as December 23 grew nearer the conversation shifted away from recompense for time lost and toward capitalizing on a massive wave of new interest. Ironmace ultimately agreed, delivering a promise of "MORE DARKNESS" and confirming a 3-day extension for the Dark and Darker alpha playtest. It will now end Monday, December 26, in the early AM.
The explanation for the playtest extension is officially due to "early network issues, instabilities, and rollback issues." Ironmace explains that this is traditional, at this point, since prior Dark and Darker playtests have had similar issues and extensions. The underlying message is excitement over Dark and Darker's surge in popularity, with Ironmace even posting about the player count on social media.
Ironmace is meeting the moment, too. The playtest has been live for a week and Ironmace has released six total hotfixes addressing issues and making improvements. The latest Dark and Darker hotfix arrived Friday morning, empowering the Wraith, Skeleton Champion, and Centaur enemies, nerfing the Longbow, and adding a map tile named The Colosseum that can spawn in the High-Roller queue.
Dark and Darker remains planned for full release as a premium game in late 2023. A year is a long time to wait, but Ironmace is all but certain to continue doing playtests between now and then. There have been three Dark and Darker playtests over the past four months, each announced as the prior ended. Expect Ironmace to share more information on what's next for the hardcore dungeon crawler shortly after this playtest ends December 26. Hopefully, the team takes a bit of time to rest up, too.
Dark and Darker is in development for PC.