SerpApi.Org
Hound 13 (CEO Park Jung-sik) announced on the 22nd that the Seoul Central District Court has dismissed the injunction request filed by Webzen to block the release of 'Dragon Sword: Awakening.'
The dispute began when Webzen failed to pay the Minimum Guarantee (MG) stipulated in its publishing agreement. Hound 13 terminated the contract citing Webzen's failure to fulfill its contractual obligations, leading Webzen to file for an injunction to prevent the game's launch.
The court dismissed all of Webzen's claims. It ruled that Hound 13's termination of the contract was lawful and valid, noting that Webzen not only failed to meet its contractual obligation to pay the MG by the deadline but also clearly expressed its refusal to pay.
Furthermore, the court found insufficient evidence to support Webzen's claim of unauthorized use of translated materials and concluded that the release of 'Dragon Sword: Awakening' would not cause irreparable harm to Webzen.
Following this decision, 'Dragon Sword: Awakening' will proceed with its global launch on Steam as scheduled, on July 23 at 7:00 AM KST.
Originally developed as an online service project featuring a gacha system, 'Dragon Sword' underwent a complete structural overhaul within three months of the contract termination with Webzen, transitioning into a buy-to-play package game with all gacha elements removed.
Despite preparing for launch without large-scale marketing, the game has garnered significant global interest, surpassing 450k wishlists on Steam as of its launch date.
"I am deeply grateful for the court's wise decision, which allows us to proceed with the launch as planned," said Park Jung-sik, CEO of Hound 13. "We hope "Dragon Sword" will serve as a successful starting point for a new IP, and we are committed to developing it into an even more polished game through continuous updates and content improvements."
