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Hound 13's open world action RPG, 'Dragon Sword: Awakening,' has launched on the 23rd.
'Dragon Sword: Awakening' is a repackaged, self-published version of the live-service game 'Dragon Sword,' which Hound 13 originally released through Webzen this past January. From its initial reveal, the game drew attention for its open world, which captures a classic fantasy aesthetic, and its signature switch-action system—an evolution of the developer's previous title, 'Hundred Soul.' However, following a dispute over unpaid minimum guarantees (MG) in February, the publishing contract was terminated, leading Hound 13 to pursue a self-published release on Steam. Webzen filed for an injunction to block the self-publishing, but the Seoul Central District Court dismissed the request on the 22nd, just one day before the scheduled Steam release.
With the legal issues resolved ahead of the launch, Hound 13 confirmed on the 22nd that 'Dragon Sword: Awakening' would proceed as planned for a 7:00 AM KST release on the 23rd. However, because the final Steam review was not yet complete, Producer Jang Yoon-jin posted a delay notice and an apology to users one hour before the scheduled time. Hound 13 explained via Discord and a call with INVEN that they had been under review since July 1 and had submitted their final review request on the 15th, promising to launch as soon as the process concluded. The final Steam review was completed around 11:50 AM, and the game officially launched on Steam at 12:10 PM.
Alongside the Steam launch, pricing was revealed for the Standard Edition, which includes the base game, and the Deluxe Edition, which adds an art book, soundtrack, and the 'Valiant Hatchling' familiar. The Standard Edition is priced at ₩33,000, while the Deluxe Edition is ₩55,000, currently discounted by 10% to ₩49500 to celebrate the launch. As it has been restructured into a package game, characters are no longer obtained through a gacha system but are instead acquired via in-game quests or through the exchange center using in-game rewards. Beyond the base package, only cosmetic items such as familiars and costumes are sold as paid DLC.
More detailed information about Dragon Sword: Awakening can be found on its Steam page.
