Dark and Darker Mobile launches its global beta test in August!

The Dark and Darker Mobile beta test, which took place in Korea, ended on 28 April and proved to be a great success. Bluehole Studio has now announced a global beta test for August 2024, ahead of the game's release later this year. Ready to embark on a dark adventure in a medieval fantasy world, in the heart of a dungeon full of demonic creatures in PvPvE?

A Dark and Darker Mobile beta test in the world's major markets

The global beta test for Dark and Darker on mobile won't be all that global. Krafton and Bluehole Studios have announced that it will only be available in the major markets of the USA, Japan and Turkey. In other words, if you're not a resident of these countries and still want a chance to test the game in beta, you'll need to use a VPN! Especially as the studio is planning to add extra content for the occasion.

The Korean beta test, which took place in April 2024, received over 50,000 entries, and 97% of players said they wanted to play the game when it was released globally. Despite its excellent reception, many Korean players of Dark and Darkers on mobile have expressed concerns about the economic system. However, publisher Krafton has stated that the game will not be a pay-to-win game.

Dark and Darker Mobile will be different from the PC version

Let's go back to the origins of the project: while Dark and Darker on PC is developed and published by Ironmace, the mobile version of the game is the initiative of Krafton, best known for its port of PUBG to mobile, and BlueHole Studios, who obtained the licence for the game in 2023.

For those of you in the background who haven't been following along, in Dark and Darker you land in a dungeon populated by skeletons, zombies and other players, all out to slaughter you. To get out, you have to find treasures hidden all over the map, then escape the dungeon within a limited time. You can then sell your loot to a merchant. If you do, the next part of the game will be much simpler, rather like a roguelite. But if you die, you lose everything!

While the core gameplay of DnD has largely been carried over to its Android and iOS versions, a number of additions have been made, including Battle Royale and RPG elements. Unlike the original game, Dark and Darker Mobile isn't just a dungeon-crawler, but a mix of different genres that allows for varied gameplay. At least, that's what Krafton has announced.

During the global beta test, players will be able to discover PvE and PvP dungeons, the Barbarian, a brand new character who benefits from a spin-attack, as well as 'mercenaries', NPCs that players can hire to complete their team. It seems that Krafton and BlueHole Studios want to simplify the gameplay compared to the original game, which was notoriously difficult.

For the time being, only 5 classes are available: the barbarian, the fighter, the ranger, the rogue and the cleric, but other classes should be added, notably the sorcerer and the bard. We also know that the DnD port has focused on optimising controls on mobile, with an intuitive, easy-to-use UI.

No date has been announced for the global beta test of Dark and Darker Mobile, nor for the official release of the game on Android and iOS, which Krafton claims will take place in 2024. We'll be sure to keep you posted!