Compare Revisions

11 DragonSword: Awakening is a buy-to-play (B2P) release of an originally free-to-play Korean game. Hound13 has been explicit that the Western version is designed as a single-package purchase rather than a live-service F2P product.
22  
33 Core Policy
44  
55 In Hound13's own words, through Steam FAQ answers by a studio manager operating under the name Hooon:
66  
77  
88 "DragonSword: Awakening is a B2P title, and we are not considering selling monthly subscriptions (passes).""All heroes and equipment in DragonSword: Awakening can be obtained through the story and in-game activities.""It is a single-player RPG where the story and exploration in an open world are the main focus.""We support cooperative play via invite codes for certain content (subjugation and raids)."
99  
1010 What the Korean Version Had
1111  
1212 The original DragonSword launched in South Korea on January 21, 2026, as a free-to-play title on PC, iOS, and Android published through Webzen. That version used gacha distribution for heroes and live-service F2P progression systems. Publishing operations ran into contractual disputes when Webzen failed to pay the remaining minimum guarantee tied to the deal, and Hound13 formally terminated the arrangement on February 13, 2026.
1313  
1414 What the Western B2P Version Removes
1515  
1616 No gacha pulls for Heroes. All 19 Heroes are obtainable through story progression and in-game activities.No monthly subscriptions or battle passes. Hound13 has said on record they are not considering selling passes.No stamina gate. The Key of Light stamina system from the free-to-play version has been removed, so players can farm for character growth and equipment without an energy limit. Everything that previously supported multiplayer (subjugation, raids) is preserved as opt-in co-op rather than as a funnel into monetisation.No live-service extras. There is no PvP, no leaderboard, no player-to-player item trading, and no mod support in the launch package. The game can be played offline from start to finish.Single-player first. The campaign is a self-contained single-player experience with optional Co-Op for specific content.
1717  
1818 What Remains Paid
1919  
2020 Hound13 has publicly scoped the store-side monetisation for the Western release to two categories, with expansion packs layered in on top:
2121  
2222 Character costumes. Purely cosmetic outfits for the playable Heroes. Five costume sets are prepared for launch, covering Ornette, Cerese, Theresia, Dana, and Kalsion, each bundled with a matching weapon costume and toggles for accessories such as eyepatches and headpieces. Kalien's costume is instead hidden in a secret in-game region rather than sold, and two swimsuit costumes for Reina and Astria are planned for post-launch updates.Additional Familiars (mounts). There are roughly 30 familiars in the game; about two-thirds are obtainable directly through play, and the remaining third are sold as DLC. The difference between free and paid familiars is purely cosmetic: collecting more familiars of the same species unlocks and strengthens shared abilities, such as jumping while climbing or reduced stamina cost, regardless of whether they were earned or bought.Expansion packs. Future paid content introducing new characters and worlds, with World 2 (the floating islands) named as the next expansion.Deluxe Edition. Priced at $49.99, the Deluxe Edition bundles the base game with a digital artbook of about 80 pages of concept art, the original soundtrack, and the Deluxe-exclusive familiar Brave Baby Dragon. A launch discount on the Deluxe Edition only is under consideration. The soundtrack is also planned to be sold separately on Steam.
2323  
2424 Park Jung-Sik on the Pivot
2525  
2626 Hound13 CEO Park Jung-sik has said publicly that the pivot to self-published B2P came out of necessity rather than roadmap planning. After the Webzen payment and contract dispute cut off revenue, the choice was between letting the service shut down and letting the game disappear, or preserving the work as a package game on Steam. The Steam rework was framed as a choice to preserve the game.
2727  
2828 By mid-May 2026 the buy-to-play package had cleared 100,000 Steam wishlists, a milestone Hound13 publicly thanked players for in a developer post tied to the Ornette reveal. The studio used the post to restate the same monetisation scope: costumes, additional Familiars, and future expansion packs as the only paid layers beyond the base game. Per publisher statement, this scope is not expected to change between the June demo and the July 2026 launch.
2929  
3030 The package supports Steam achievements and trophies at launch. Character growth is uncapped: heroes progress through a six-stage transcendence system whose materials come from the main story, growth guides, mercenary guild achievements, and exploration.
3131  
3232 Hound13 has been deliberate about how it announces the parts of the package that affect a purchase decision. In June 2026, after the demo, the studio confirmed the Standard Edition launch price at $29.99 USD and €29.99 EUR (₩33,000 in Korea), applying regional pricing that factors in exchange rates and local purchasing power. On June 18, 2026 it confirmed the release day: the game launches worldwide on July 23, 2026 at 07:00 KST. The final word on the Korean publisher dispute is still set to come through official channels rather than community Q&A. The B2P scope of the package itself was committed to publicly early, and that scope (no gacha, no subscription, all 19 Heroes and equipment obtainable in-game, optional cosmetic costumes and Familiars as the only paid post-launch categories outside expansion packs) is what is locked in for the Steam release.
3333  
3434 Because DragonSword: Awakening is Hound13's first release, pre-purchase is not offered, so sales begin on the July 23 launch day. As a launch celebration, the Abyssal Direwolf familiar is free for all players from July 23 through August 31, 2026, after which it reverts to its standard price.