Official Statement to Fans Awaiting Dragonsword : Awakening

First and foremost, we sincerely apologize for the confusion and concern caused to our fans by the news of the dispute with our former publisher.

We would like to share the situation that Dragonsword : Awakening and Hound13 have faced following the game's launch in Korea.

Hound13 entered into a publishing agreement with Webzen and launched Dragonsword in Korea in December 2025.

However, Webzen failed to pay 60% of the agreed Minimum Guarantee (MG), which led Hound13 to issue a notice of contract termination in February 2026.

Although Webzen subsequently paid the remaining MG balance in full, Hound13 was compelled to temporarily suspend its operations.

The company has since restructured around its core development team and transitioned to self-publishing on Steam.

Recently, our former publisher Webzen posted a notice regarding Dragonsword : Awakening's Steam release. We would like to correct several inaccuracies in that notice and share the facts clearly.

1. The publishing agreement with Webzen was lawfully terminated as of February 13, 2026.

Due to Webzen's failure to fulfill its contractual obligation to pay the Minimum Guarantee (MG) as explicitly stipulated in the publishing agreement, Hound13 lawfully terminated the contract on February 13, 2026, in accordance with the procedures set forth in the agreement. We have since communicated this position to Webzen clearly through multiple official written notices.

Webzen's claim that "the publishing agreement remains currently valid" is Webzen's unilateral assertion, and the legal effect of the termination is a matter currently before the courts.

1. Our Steam service is being conducted based on lawful authority.

Following the termination of the contract, Hound13, as the developer and copyright holder of Dragonsword, retains independent service rights. Our preparation for the Steam release is grounded in this lawful authority and is not, contrary to Webzen's claims, proceeding "without publishing rights."

1. We are committed to protecting our users from any harm.

We are preparing our Steam service without disruption so that all users who love Dragonsword can enjoy the game with stability. Development is progressing smoothly, with a demo planned for June and a full release targeted for July of this year.

We sincerely ask for your continued support, from fans around the world.