Dark and Darker — patch notes and updates
Stored observation / content update:
Dated developer announcements recorded from Steam. Open the source for the complete update.
| Update | Date | Excerpt / source |
|---|---|---|
| Early Access Hotfix #114 | 2026-04-30 | Greetings, Adventurers.This hotfix is aimed at quickly resolving several issues to ensure a proper start to this season. Other changes, including balance adjustments, will be rolled out gradually through upcoming hotfixes. This hotfix fixes the ability to claim your EAS8 Adventure Rank rewards, fixes a blocking issue with the Mimic quest, and adds the missing key binding options for the newly introduced ping feature. We hope you enjoy the new season to the fullest.As always, thank you and see you in the dungeons!IRONMACEBugfixes:Fixed an issue where the previous season's Adventurer rank leaderboard was not displayed and rewards could not be c |
| Early Access Season #9 | 2026-04-28 | Hello Adventurers,Welcome to Early Access #9. All character levels, items, stashes, inventory, reward tokens, karma, quest, affinity, and triumph levels have been reset. This season brings several large new features.Face the Inferno – The gates to Hell have opened wide with a revamped Inferno. Enter a classic fantasy world of fire and brimstone plagued by a new demonic horde. Face the embodiment of malice as the foreboding Demon Overseer looks to seal your ultimate fate.New perks and skills for the Rogue and Ranger – The two most agile classes get brand new skills and perks including Shadowstep, Explosive Shot, Overdraw and more!In-game Ping |
| Early Access Season 9 - Face the Inferno | 2026-04-24 | Hear me, brave Adventurers!The deepest floor of the Forgotten Castle has been warped by an unimaginable, ancient evil. The Inferno has been completely renewed, and the gates to Hell are now wide open. Prepare to descend into the darkest depths to face the ultimate embodiment of malice.Will you let the darkness consume your soul, or will your light pierce through the evil? We shall soon find out.🔥Key Features of EAS 9🔥Inferno Renewal: The harrowing 3rd-floor dungeon of the Forgotten Castle has been completely redesigned.Class Updates: Unlocked new Skills and Perks for the Ranger and Rogue.Squire Royale: The evolution of the classic 'Squire t |
| Early Access Hotfix #113 | 2026-04-16 | Hi Adventurers,Welcome to the end of season update! We have several events as we celebrate the end of a successful season and look forward to a new start on April 28.On April 17 – 19 we will be hosting the Warlord Tournament, where the best competitors from this Arena season will duke it out for glory. Join us on Twitch and YouTube to support your favorite gladiators.Once the current Arena Season ends on April 19, The non-ranked Arena will be accessible every day until April 25. All entry gear restrictions will be removed, and no items will be lost on death during this Arena event.We’ve boosted the drop rates for the dungeons for a last hurra |
| Early Access Hotfix #112-1 | 2026-04-09 | Greetings, Adventurers. We’d like to inform you of the latest changes applied in this update.IRONMACEBugfixes:Fixed an issue where the Sorcerer’s Glaciate could bypass the Tier 1 cooldown.Fixed an issue where monsters’ health could unintentionally increase.Game Updates:The number of teams allowed per floor in Squires to Riches mode has been increased by one, overall session time has been extended, and zone damage has been reduced. The number and spawn timing of Red Portals have been adjusted, allowing more players to descend to lower floors more quickly, and the reward tiers for each floor have been significantly increased. Boss rooms remain, |
| Early Access Hotfix #112 | 2026-04-03 | Hello Adventurers,We are happy to announce the date for the upcoming season. Early Access Season #9 will start on April 28, 2026. Adventurers will have up until April 27th to progress through the Adventure Ranks and earn the newly revealed seasonal rewards. April 27th will also be the final day to earn your rewards from the ‘Religion' offerings.Arena combatants will have until April 19th to finalize their Arena MMR and earn rewards based on their final rank. For the remaining Arena weekends, we’ve updated the matchmaking system to make it more lenient for friends to form teams. We’ve also updated the Arena Warlord leaderboard to remove duplic |
| Enter the Arena: Warlord Tournament Sign-Ups Are Live | 2026-03-27 | Greetings Adventurers,Applications are OPEN for our very first Arena Warlord Tournament.This is your chance to prove your dominance and stand among the strongest fighters in the arena. The application is open to solo users and teams.If you have Warlord teammates that you would like to team up with, please mention them in your application!If you do not have a team, we will do our best to match you with other Warlords in your region.You do not need to maintain the rank of Warlord for the whole arena season, you only need to hold the rank of Warlord during your application submission time.Due to limited spots, the tournament will be filled on a |
| Early Access Hotfix #111-1 | 2026-03-25 | Greetings, Adventurers. We’d like to inform you of the latest changes applied in this update.IRONMACEBugfixes:Fixed an issue where selling Heart Candy would give 0 gold coins.Fixed an issue where, when enhancing an item from Legendary → Unique at the workshop, the modifier would not reroll the value with a new 'unique' grade value.Game Updates:Improved Server Performance Optimizations. |
| Early Access Hotfix #111 | 2026-03-20 | Hi Adventurers,This hotfix brings several improvements based directly on community feedback including fixes to the Workshop feature, the Emberflame skins, and overall game balance.The initial launch of the Workshop had some rough edges, and we’ve made some quick adjustments based on your feedback. We’ve streamlined upgrading your workshops by reducing much of the mindless upgrade requirements. We’ve also made it much easier to scrap your items by allowing you to scrap at any of your workshops, once an item type has been unlocked. The maximum stack count for scraps in your inventory has also been increased from 20->50 to better handle all your |
| IRONMACE Next Project + Dark and Darker Commitment | 2026-03-14 | Dear Adventurers,We have some exciting news to share with you today, news that reflects how far IRONMACE has come, and where we're headed next.In 2021, IRONMACE was founded with one mission: to create great games that gamers around the world can truly enjoy. Dark and Darker was our first step in that journey. Thanks to you, it became something far bigger than we ever imagined!Over the past few years, under SDF, Dark and Darker's vision and long-term direction have gradually become clear and firmly established. In particular, during EAS8, SDF set game stability as the top priority and personally drove the decisions that built the strong founda |
| Early Access Hotfix #110 | 2026-03-06 | Hi Adventurers,This update launches the all new Workshop feature that lets Adventurers extract more value from their less successful dungeon dives. Workshops convert unwanted gear into scraps that can be utilized to enhance or rebuild the gear they actually cherish. Scraps can even be used in to craft completely new random gear. We hope the Workshop works as a nice counterbalance to help stabilize the current economy.This update also introduces our first batch of weapon cosmetics with the launch of the ‘Emberflame’ series. The ‘Emberflame’ skins add a fiery flick of lava to some of our most popular weapons. We plan to continually expand this |
| Early Access Hotfix #109 | 2026-02-26 | Hi Adventurers,This update focuses on streamlining the player experience. We’ve added more “quality of life” features related to the quest system along with making several quests more accessible. We’ve also improved the Goblin Recovery system so he’ll hold onto recovered items for a slightly longer time, which should reduce the missed chances of lost items.In addition to the QoL features, we’ve also upped the tension in the dungeons. Adventurers will now need to open the portcullis to the red stairs down a level, and the gates will automatically close after a short time. We’ve also updated the static pedestal portals so they will automaticall |
| Early Access Hotfix #108-1 | 2026-02-13 | Greetings, Adventurers. We’d like to inform you of the latest changes applied in this update.IRONMACEBugfixes:Fixed an issue where the Goblin Merchant quest line could fail to appear properly. |
| Early Access Hotfix #108 | 2026-02-12 | Hi Adventurers,This update continues to polish the new economy and game balance. We’ve made several changes to make it easier for players to manage their gold. We’ve also adjusted the quest system to make progress smoother and more accessible. In addition, we’ve updated the availability and prices of items that unlock at the Merchants to better align with the new economy. These updates are to foster a bustling economy once the Marketplace and Workshop open in the upcoming weeks.This update also prepares for the launch of the first official Arena season, scheduled to commence on February 20, 2026. Please note that due to these preparations, th |
| Early Access Hotfix #107 | 2026-02-05 | Hi Adventurers,This hotfix brings several bug fixes and balancing changes to help smooth some of the bumps from the recent major update. The initial response to the update has been great and we look at this as a good foundation to build upon. We are working hard to get more features before the end of the month including the highly anticipated Workshop feature. We thank you for your patience and see you in the dungeons!IRONMACEBugfixes:Fixed an issue where players might not be properly hit when attacked at very close range.Fixed an issue where an attack that became stuck after being successfully guarded with a shield could deal damage to a nea |
| Early Access Season #8 | 2026-01-29 | Hello Adventurers,Welcome to EA Season #8. All character levels, items, stashes, inventory, reward tokens, karma, quests, affinity, and triumph levels have been reset. This season brings several large new features.Enter the Firedeep – Dark and Darker Season 8 descends into the depths with Firedeep, the newly revealed second floor of the Goblin Caves. This lava-filled dungeon is shaped by molten rivers, collapsing stones, and crushing heat that turns every expedition into a fight for survival.Core Movement and Combat Improvements – We’ve substantially adjusted the core movement system so your actions should flow more freely. You’ll notice an i |
| Early Access Season 8 Twitch Drops Have Arrived! | 2026-01-29 | Hello adventurers!Twitch Drops are here, along with the Valentine merchant!Campaign 1 runs from 12:00 AM UTC on January 30 to 11:59 PM UTC on February 5.Campaign 2 runs from 12:00 AM UTC on February 6 to 11:59 PM UTC on February 12.Watch any Dark and Darker streamer on Twitch to earn progress toward Twitch Drops!These Twitch Drops feature two awesome cosmetics, along with useful in-game items to help you get started during the SSF period.Valentine will also offer daily quests and a variety of great shop items to choose from.Don’t miss out, Valentine will only be here until the end of February!For more details on Twitch Drops dates and rewards |
| [Official Trailer] Dark and Darker: Season 8 – Enter the Firedeep | 2026-01-28 | Deep within the Goblin Caves, a new floor awakens. Watch the reveal trailer to see the molten expansion of the Goblin Caves. Dark and Darker Season 8 descends into the depths with Firedeep, the newly revealed second floor of the Goblin Caves. This lava-filled dungeon is shaped by molten rivers, collapsing stone, and crushing heat that turns every expedition into a fight for survival. Firedeep is inhabited by savage lava creatures and heavily armed dwarf miners who have carved their stronghold into the rock. Tight corridors and hazardous terrain leave little room for error as adventurers push deeper into the inferno. A massive new threat rules |
| Early Access Hotfix #106 | 2026-01-22 | Hi Adventurers,This update prepares for the Hardcore Arena event. The Hardcore Arena event will take place from January 23 to January 26. This is the final Test Arena Season, which we are using to collect data. We expect future Arena seasons to no longer have the ‘Test’ moniker and will proceed normally with a standard reward system. Participation is limited to pre-made parties of three players, and no monsters will appear on any map. There are no item entry restrictions, and defeated teams will lose all of their items.Please note that the purchase price of the Redstones will be adjusted with the upcoming Season. Please check our website and |
| Currency Adjustment & Revaluation for EA Season 8 | 2026-01-22 | Hello, Adventurers! As we approach Early Access Season 8 (EA8), we would like to inform you about an important update regarding Redstone Shards and Bluestone Shards. To make our pricing clearer and more flexible, we are adjusting the base value of Redstone Shards. Starting with EA8, 1 Redstone Shard will be valued at $1 USD (previously $2 USD).This change improves price readability across the shop and allows us to offer a wider variety of lower-cost cosmetic options in the future. To ensure that the real-world value of your current holdings remains the same, we will be doubling your current balance during the update.Key Changes:Currency Adjus |