HOUND13 is set to self-publish its first PC open-world action RPG, Dragon Sword: Awakening, on Steam on July 23, 2026, amid an ongoing legal dispute with former publisher Webzen over the termination of their publishing contract.
HOUND13, the South Korean developer behind the mobile RPG DragonSword, is preparing to release Dragon Sword: Awakening on Steam on July 23, 2026. The game is a premium standalone title restructured from the live-service DragonSword after HOUND13 terminated its publishing contract with Webzen in February 2026, citing unpaid fees. Webzen has disputed the termination and filed a preliminary injunction to block HOUND13's self-publishing, but HOUND13 maintains it holds independent service rights as the developer and copyright holder.
The game features Unreal Engine 5 anime-style visuals and a tag-action battle system with 19 heroes, each with unique status ailment abilities. The combat loop centers on inflicting status ailments to trigger tag-team combos, encouraging constant hero switching. The premium version removes all gacha elements, making all playable characters and core content obtainable through gameplay. The regular price is 3,400 yen, with a Deluxe Edition including a digital art book and soundtrack also planned. A free demo covering the first chapter was available on Steam from June 5 to June 24, featuring 9 of 19 playable heroes and about 1-2 hours of play, though save data did not carry over to the full game.
The launch celebration event runs from July 23 to August 31, offering the Abyssal Direwolf Familiar DLC for free. The game supports multiplayer hunts and raids. The release marks HOUND13's first PC open-world action RPG and a test of developer rights in South Korea's game industry, as the legal dispute with Webzen remains unresolved.
Synthesized by Yomimono from the cited Yomimono stories below, each itself
sourced, then editorially reviewed. Every
fact links the story it came from.
Jul 21
HOUND13's open-world action RPG "Dragon Sword: Awakening" was delayed on July 23, 2026, just one hour before its scheduled 7:00 AM JST Steam release. The developer announced the postponement at 6:00 AM JST, citing incomplete Steam application review. HOUND13 stated that review feedback had been addressed and the game was awaiting final approval, with a new release date to be announced once confirmed. The delay follows a legal dispute between HOUND13 and former publisher Webzen over unpaid royalties and contract termination, which led to the game being rebuilt as a buy-to-play title without gacha. The Seoul Central District Court rejected Webzen's injunction to block the release on July 22. The game is priced at 3,480 yen for the Standard Edition and features 19 playable heroes, a party combo action system, and exploration with collectible familiars inspired by "Breath of the Wild." HOUND13 plans post-launch content including four new heroes and a Sky Island region. The game currently has Korean voice acting with Japanese subtitles; the developer expressed interest in adding Japanese dubbing but cited cost and time constraints.
Jun 18
South Korean developer Hound13 announced on June 18 that the anime-style open-world action RPG "Dragon Sword: Awakening" will launch on PC via Steam on July 23, 2026 at 7:00 AM JST. The game is a premium standalone title, restructured from the live-service "DragonSword" after Hound13 terminated its publishing contract with Webzen in February 2026, citing unpaid fees. Webzen has disputed the termination and filed a preliminary injunction to block Hound13's self-publishing, but Hound13 maintains it holds independent service rights as the developer and copyright holder. The premium version removes all gacha elements, making all playable characters and core content obtainable through gameplay. The regular price is 3,400 yen, with a Deluxe Edition including a digital art book and soundtrack also planned. A free demo covering the first chapter is available on Steam until June 24 at 2:00 AM JST. A launch celebration event runs from July 23 to August 31, offering the "Abyssal Direwolf" Familiar DLC for free. The game features a tag-action battle system with 19 heroes, each with unique status ailment abilities, and supports multiplayer hunts and raids.
Jun 2
HOUND13 will release a free demo of the premium open-world RPG DragonSword: Awakening on Steam from June 5 to June 24. The demo covers Chapter 1 of eight, features 9 of 19 playable heroes, and offers about 1-2 hours of play. It was originally planned as an early media build but is now public. Save data does not carry over to the full game.