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Dark Horse Comic Closes Digital Service, Ends App Support

Dark Horse Comics announced on Monday that it has closed its Dark Horse Digital (DHD) service. Users can currently still log in and read the comics in their bookshelf. However, sales have ended for DHD. In addition, support for the Dark Horse Comics and Plants vs. Zombies Comics apps for iOS devices will end on March 31. The company stated that it cannot guarantee the ability to download books in their bookshelves after March 30. It also recommended users to create a DHD account to sync to the app by March 30 if they did not do so already.

The company stated in its FAQ page that it plans for online access for the website to be available until this summer, but the website will "eventually retire." In the same FAQ, Dark Horse states that, technically, users do not own the comics in their bookshelves. "With Kindle, Nook, and other e-book companies, [users] license the right to read the book on supported and authorized devices."

Dark Horse Comics revealed earlier this month that it had begun laying off staff positions, but did not comment on how many positions or who it has laid off. Dark Horse stated that it was responding to "increasing overhead, changing market conditions, and external economic factors." Dark Horse made the statement after Konner Knudsen, one of its associate editors, announced on their Bluesky account that they were laid off.

Dark Horse is part of the split by conglomerate Embracer Group in April last year into three companies: Asmodee Group, Coffee Stain & Friends, and Middle-earth Enterprises & Friends. Middle-earth Enterprises & Friends currently owns Dark Horse Comics.

Embracer Group began acquiring Dark Horse Comics in December 2021, and completed the acquisition in March 2022. The acquisiton was part of the company's spree of acquisitions of media and game companies beginning in 2019. After a planned US$2 billion investment from Savvy Games Group (a company owned by Saudi Arabi's Public Investment Fund) did not go through as planned in May 2023, the company found itself in debt, with the company soon planning restructuring, leading to mass layoffs, the sale of properties and subsidiary companies, and the three-company split from April last year.

Mike Richardson founded Dark Horse Comics in 1986 as an offshoot of his comic book store chain Things From Another World. The company published its first manga, Godzilla: King of the Monsters, in 1987.

Source: Dark Horse Comics (link 2)