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Webzen Publishing Dispute - Version 8 vs Version 9
Aug 6, 2026, 09:33 PM
Added the July 22, 2026 Seoul Central District Court ruling dismissing the injunction, Webzen's appeal statement, the pending main lawsuit, and the studio headcount reduction
Aug 17, 2026, 03:06 AM
Noted that Webzen's appeal remains an unfiled intention as of mid-August 2026
11The Webzen publishing dispute is the contractual breakdown that turned DragonSword from a Korean free-to-play live-service game into DragonSword: Awakening, a self-published Steam buy-to-play package. The story explains why the Western release looks the way it does, why the gacha is gone, and why Hound13 went from "Webzen-published mobile and PC F2P" to "self-published Steam B2P" in roughly three months. A Seoul court dismissed Webzen's attempt to block the Steam release the day before it went live, but the underlying lawsuit is still open.22Why it Matters44Almost every distinctive feature of the Western release traces back to this dispute. The Buy-to-Play Model, the removal of gacha, the renaming to DragonSword: Awakening, the host-based co-op rather than a server-based MMO structure, and the reworked launch content built around World 1 with all heroes obtainable through play - all of those design choices were forced or accelerated by what happened with Webzen.66Timeline99DateEventJanuary 21, 2026DragonSword launches in South Korea on PC, iOS, and Android, published by Webzen as a free-to-play live-service title.February 13, 2026Hound13 issues a notice of contract termination to Webzen, citing failure to pay the agreed minimum guarantee on schedule.February 27, 2026Webzen states it has paid the full minimum guarantee amount.March 3, 2026Webzen rejects Hound13's contract termination as not legally valid and asserts it retains publishing rights.April 10, 2026Hound13 announces self-published Steam relaunch as DragonSword: Awakening, opens a Steam page, and publishes a release plan.April 13, 2026Hound13 posts a Steam FAQ outlining the buy-to-play structure for the Western release.April 17, 2026First individual Hero reveal of the new pre-launch wave (Kalien Hero Trailer).April 21, 2026Webzen files a lawsuit and a request for a preliminary injunction to block the DragonSword: Awakening release.July 22, 2026The Seoul Central District Court dismisses Webzen's injunction request in full, clearing the Steam release.July 22, 2026Webzen says it will appeal the injunction ruling.July 23, 2026DragonSword: Awakening launches worldwide on Steam.1111What the Two Sides Say1212PartyPositionHound13The contract is terminated as of February 13. Hound13 retains independent publishing rights as the developer and copyright holder. The Korean launch revenue was blocked when payment processing was cut off, so continuing under the original deal was not commercially viable. The Steam relaunch is framed as the choice that preserves the game rather than letting the project disappear.WebzenHound13's termination notice did not satisfy the legal requirements to be valid. The minimum guarantee amount has been paid in full. Webzen retains publishing rights and is asking the court for an injunction to suspend the DragonSword: Awakening release until the contract dispute is settled.1414What the Pivot Changed1515Hound13's framing of the pivot is that the design and content of DragonSword: Awakening had to be reworked from a server-based F2P live-service product into a single-player Steam package. That involved several concrete shifts:1717Server-based multiplayer was replaced with host-based peer-to-peer co-op, supported only for Co-Op content (battles up to 2 players, raids up to 3 players).Gacha distribution of heroes was removed entirely. All nineteen playable Heroes are unlocked through story and in-game activities.UI was redesigned for PC gaming with controller and keyboard-and-mouse support, rather than mobile-first.Some character designs that had drawn feedback during the Korean version were renewed for the Steam release. The renewal was scoped to specific characters rather than to a total redraw.Content was sized to a single-player package: World 1's eight main-story chapters plus additional Hero quests and a new Eastern region added specifically for the Steam release. World 2, set on the floating islands, was moved to the post-launch expansion plan.Monetisation was scoped to character costumes, additional Familiars, and full expansion packs, with no monthly subscription or battle pass. See Buy-to-Play Model for the detailed framing.1919What Hound13 CEO Park Jung-Sik Said2121In the public framing accompanying the relaunch, Hound13 CEO Park Jung-sik said the choice was effectively forced. With payment processing blocked and no revenue coming in, the studio could not continue to sustain both the company and the project on the live-service model. Pivoting to a self-published Steam package was framed as a way to preserve years of development work rather than let the game disappear. Press coverage of the FAQ added that the studio is not considering monthly subscription passes for the Steam release.2323Effect on the Steam Release2525The injunction was decided the day before release. On July 22, 2026 the Seoul Central District Court dismissed Webzen's request in full and the game launched on schedule the following day.2727The court's reasoning ran on three points. It found Hound13's termination lawful and valid, because Webzen had not only missed the contractual deadline for paying the minimum guarantee but had at one point clearly stated it would not pay. It found there was not enough evidence behind Webzen's separate claim that Hound13 had used translated material without permission. And it concluded that releasing the game would not cause Webzen the irreparable harm the publisher had argued for.2929Park Jung-sik thanked the court publicly and said the decision let the studio launch as planned. Webzen said it would appeal and ask the court to look again at the facts and issues.30+Park Jung-sik thanked the court publicly and said the decision let the studio launch as planned. Webzen said it would appeal and ask the court to look again at the facts and issues. As of mid-August 2026 that remains a stated intention, with no filing reported, and no damages claim has surfaced in either direction. Hound13's own announcement feed has carried nothing about the case since launch.3131The injunction was only the emergency half of the case. The main lawsuit over publishing rights and the minimum guarantee remains pending, so the dispute is decided for the purpose of the Steam release and unresolved as a contract matter. Nothing in the ruling changes what ships in the game.3333What It Cost3535The pivot was not free. Hound13 came down from roughly 150 staff to 46 over the period, and Producer Jang Yun-jin said the compressed schedule meant the team could barely add any new systems to the Steam build, having to work out quickly what was actually possible in the time available. What the studio did carry through was the action layer: Park Jung-sik framed the constant across both versions as the game's core combat feel rather than any particular feature.3737Out of Scope for This Wiki3939This article and the rest of the wiki cover only DragonSword: Awakening, the Steam-published Western release. The Korean free-to-play DragonSword launched in January 2026 is the predecessor and is referenced here only as historical context for why the Awakening rework exists. Specific gacha banners, F2P stamina systems, in-game cash shop entries, or other live-service mechanics from the Korean launch are not in scope; they were stripped out for the Steam release and do not ship in the Awakening build.4141Related4343Hound13 - the developer and now self-publisher.Buy-to-Play Model - the structural consequences of the pivot.Platforms and Release - the consolidated milestone timeline including the dispute.Overview - the high-level summary of the Steam release.
