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Buy-to-Play Model
June 5, 2026 at 09:58 AM
Documented the Deluxe Edition (soundtrack and digital artbook) and separate OST sale, the removed Key of Light stamina system, the six-stage transcendence, Steam achievements at launch, and the absence of PvP, leaderboards, trading and mods
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.
In Hound13's own words, through Steam FAQ answers by a studio manager operating under the name Hooon:
"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)."
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.
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.
Hound13 has publicly scoped the store-side monetisation for the Western release to two categories, with expansion packs layered in on top:
Character costumes. Purely cosmetic outfits for the playable Heroes.
Additional Familiars (mounts). Extra mount options beyond those obtainable through gameplay.
Expansion packs. Future paid content introducing new characters and worlds, with World 2 (the floating islands) named as the next expansion.
Deluxe Edition. Hound13 plans a Deluxe Edition that bundles the soundtrack and a digital artbook alongside the base game. The soundtrack, including the OST, is also planned to be sold separately on Steam.
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.
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.
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.
Hound13 has been deliberate about how it announces the parts of the package that affect a purchase decision. As of the May 2026 pre-launch window the studio has confirmed that the exact release date, the launch price, and the final word on the Korean publisher dispute will be announced through its own official channels (Steam News, the official Discord, and the studio's social presence) rather than through community Q&A. The B2P scope of the package itself is the part the studio has been willing to commit to publicly, 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.
