DragonSword : Awakening – AMA Summary (May 2026)

DragonSword : Awakening – AMA Summary (May 2026)

Thank you to all community members who participated in our AMA session! Below is a full summary of all Q&As. Questioner names have been partially anonymized for privacy. Q1. t**** What happens if you overcap a stat? It happened once during a stream, but it wasn't clear what effect it had.

JYJ This was caused by the number of items added via cheats for the demo exceeding the database cap. It cannot occur in actual gameplay, so there is no need to worry.

Q2. t**** Will we be able to see how long an attack animation lasts? Something that tells you how long your character will be locked in the animation during battle.

JYJ Currently, it can only be gauged through actual gameplay feel. The cancel timing during attacks varies depending on the weapon and attack motion used.

Q3. 黑**** I have more than two friends playing at launch, but normal boss dungeons are limited to 2 players. Are there plans to increase the cap to 3 or 4 players?

JYJ Normal boss dungeons (subjugation) are planned to remain capped at 2 players. With 3 or more players, normal boss combat became too chaotic and hard to follow. Raids, however, support up to 3 players.

Q4. O**** Which character not in the initial roster will you prioritize releasing first after the July launch?

JYJ After the July launch, our top priority is to release Ryza. She couldn't be included in the initial roster due to some implementation issues, but she will be the first character added post-launch.

Q5. b**** In an early stream I saw a dungeon dragon raid scene with 8 characters opening a gate. Does that mean there will be an 8-player raid, or is it part of the story?

JYJ Please consider it part of the main story. The first raid was originally designed for 8 players, but through testing we determined that 3 players provides the most enjoyable raid experience.

Q6. J**** Are there plans to translate the game into other languages such as Spanish? The Steam page doesn't list additional languages.

JYJ We are currently preparing German, French, Russian, and Portuguese localizations. Unfortunately, Spanish is not currently under consideration. We apologize.

Q7. D**** What made you decide to undertake a project to turn a gacha game into an offline experience — something most gacha developers and players might not initially see the appeal of?

CEO Park You may or may not know the history, but this game was originally designed as a gacha title. After our contract with publisher Webzen was terminated, we pivoted to a package game format. Practically speaking, our team had also shrunk significantly, making a live service very difficult to sustain. We were also always saddened that online games disappear when their service ends, so we wanted this one to remain playable offline forever. For that reason, if this game does well, we also plan to release our previous title Hundred Soul in package form.

Q8. k**** What release cadence are you expecting for major expansions?

JYJ Due to team size reductions, it is currently difficult to commit to a specific expansion release schedule. We will announce more details once concrete plans are finalized after launch.

Q9. E**** Why did you move from a multi-skill system like Dragon Nest to one that relies on just three skills?

JYJ Dragon Sword emphasizes tag-action combat with 3 characters. Each character has up to 4 skills (2 active + 2 signal), making 12 total skills in play. Some characters also have unique special abilities, so you can use even more in practice. Rather than a reduction in skill count, please think of it as a shift in combat style brought about by operating 3 characters at once.

Q10. M**** Do you plan to add mod support in the future?

JYJ There are currently no plans for mod support.

Q11. L**** Will the OST be available on Steam or any other platform?

JYJ We plan to sell the soundtrack, including the OST, through Steam.

Q12. В**** Can players interact with each other? Trade items? Duo/trio emotes? Anything?

JYJ There are no plans to offer separate player interactions or item trading between players.

Q13. M**** How long will Story Mode be? Thanks in advance, and keep up the good work!

JYJ The live broadcast showed 1 chapter, and a total of 8 chapters are prepared. On average, it is expected to take approximately 20 hours to complete all 8 chapters.

Q14. A**** Now that you're no longer constrained by gacha mechanics and mobile platforms, are there plans to expand character skills and player options in combat?

JYJ Our team's top priority is delivering a stable build through optimization and bug fixes before launch. We have no current plans to expand the combat system, but we will consider it based on player feedback after launch.

Q15. A**** Who was one of the team's favorite characters to create? Thanks! The game looks amazing.

CEO Park Thank you! Each team member probably has their own favorites, but characters like Ornette and Castella seem to be widely liked — especially for their skill utility and visual appeal. Each character also has a completely unique playstyle, so finding the one that fits you is part of the fun.

Q16. R**** The community loves the co-op raid dungeons. Are there plans to add an 8-player party raid so we can invite bigger groups of friends?

JYJ The currently developed raids are designed for 3-player play, making expansion difficult. However, for raids added in the future, we will consider designs that allow more players to join together.

Q17. R**** Are there plans to add multi-tier conditional skill triggers? For example, having a skill icon glow again after 'Double Slash' to chain into 'Quadruple Slash', then 'Quintuple Slash', for more combat variety.

JYJ Applying the same logic to all characters would be difficult, but it is definitely an idea worth considering for the combat concept of future characters.

Q18. R**** What can we expect for endgame/postgame combat? Will there be an arena mode, roguelike mode, or dynamically changing encounters after clearing the story?

JYJ Players can enjoy the Tower — a high-difficulty combat content — and world exploration offers gathering, cooking, various puzzles, mini-games, and more. A roguelike mode is not currently available, but we will consider adding it in a future update.

Q19. R**** What's the DLC situation — are months of updates and expansions already locked in, or does it depend on the game's reception?

JYJ Everything currently prepared is planned to be included in the base package at launch — nothing has been held back for updates or DLC. We will share the update schedule via a future roadmap.

Q20. L**** Are there plans for a PS5 release? If so, I hope the gap with the Steam launch isn't too long.

JYJ We are internally discussing a PS5 release, but no concrete plans have been finalized yet.

Q21. L**** Is this a pure package game playable entirely offline, with no internet connection required to reach the ending?

JYJ Yes, it is a pure package game that can be played offline without an internet connection all the way to the ending.

Q22. L**** Can characters be obtained as companions during story progression, or will they only be sold as DLC?

JYJ The 19 characters available at official launch are not DLC — they can be recruited through story progression and in-game currency.

Q23. s**** Will the shaders be improved? The hair specifically looks odd in certain environments, and the overall lighting feels underwhelming.

CEO Park The shaders themselves are staying in their current direction, but the lighting in dungeons and some areas is being reworked for more depth. Early on, the design accounted for mobile platforms, which imposed limitations on lighting and shaders. Now that we are PC-only, we are improving overall lighting quality.

Q24. s**** Will there be free character costumes earnable with in-game currency, or are they paid DLC only? Also, will modding be supported?

JYJ Character costumes are planned to be sold as paid DLC only. However, if the game achieves a certain level of success, we will consider offering free costumes as well.

Q25. b**** Please share the roadmap you have planned, whether before or after release.

JYJ We plan to release new characters sequentially after launch. We are also preparing the Floating Isle (Sky Island) as a new world in a major update.

Q26. s**** What's JYJ's favorite coffee?

JYJ In Korea there's a term 'ul-juk-a' (meaning 'I'd drink iced coffee even if I were freezing'). My favorite is iced Americano!

Q27. s**** What's Hoon's weekly workout plan?

Hooon Monday

back workout with deadlifts as the main exercise.

Tuesday

chest and shoulder accessory work with bench press.

Wednesday

legs.

Thursday

back and biceps.

Friday

shoulders and triceps.

Q28. S**** How is player customization envisioned — is it more about individual character equipment builds, or does it happen at the party composition level?

JYJ Since the core is action combat through character combinations, party composition plays a more important role than individual equipment loadouts. Try out different party configurations during Steam Next Fest to find what suits you best!

Q29. a**** In addition to Korean, are there plans to add Japanese or English voice acting?

JYJ Under current circumstances, adding voice acting in other languages is difficult. However, we intend to discuss the possibility further depending on how things develop.

Q30. M**** Hi! Big fan of the original Dragon Nest! What was the inspiration for this game? Any personal story behind it?

CEO Park Glad to hear you enjoyed Dragon Nest! This game started from the idea of presenting Hound13's previous title Hundred Soul's action style with a more mainstream art direction. Naturally, it became a combination of the Dragon Nest art style I and my team worked on, and Hundred Soul's action gameplay. We were also greatly inspired by The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild for the open world design.

Q31. k**** With the move away from gacha/mobile, what changes can we expect — seasonal events, new characters, map expansion? Also, can Lute's previous hairstyle be added as a costume?

JYJ We hope new characters will expand the action experience. For map expansion, the Floating Isle (Sky Island) will offer a new vertical level design experience. Unfortunately, Lute's previous hairstyle would be difficult to implement as a skin due to structural issues.

Q32. k**** Are there plans to add more skills for each character/class?

JYJ There are currently no plans to add skills, but we will consider it based on player feedback after launch.

Q33. P**** Will the game support Steam achievements/trophies?

JYJ We plan to support Steam achievements and trophies at official launch.

Q34. P**** Are there plans to release a Deluxe or Collector's Edition, or only a Standard Edition with pre-order bonuses?

JYJ We plan to release a Deluxe Edition that includes the soundtrack and a digital artbook.

Q35. P**** In co-op, will there be text chat or emotes/stickers to interact with other players?

JYJ Text chat is supported in the co-op lobby screen. However, in-combat interaction features are currently low priority and may not be included in the official release.

Q36. F**** How long does it take to design a character from concept to finished product (voice, skills, animations), and which part takes the longest?

JYJ It takes approximately 6 months to create a single character. The most time-consuming part is verifying that the finished character works as intended and polishing the action gameplay to make it fun.

Q37. F**** Which parts of the open world were the most difficult to design and why?

JYJ The hardest part of an open world is that player behavior is so free — predicting what players will do and naturally incorporating that into the game was the greatest challenge.

Q38. Y**** What kind of loot drops from dungeons and raids? Is the grind engaging enough to keep players coming back?

JYJ Dungeons drop equipment, crafting materials, and character growth materials. Raids drop Runes — the endgame farming content — along with items that lower the hurdle for equipment farming. Equipment and Rune stats have random elements that keep the farming experience continuously engaging.

Q39. Y**** Is co-op impossible outside dungeons and raids? Can we no longer see each other in the main town like in the original game?

JYJ The launch version will not support co-op outside of dungeons and raids. However, we plan to add co-op support for towns and world exploration after launch.

Q40. V**** Can all content be completed solo? I want to enjoy everything without being locked out of the best rewards behind mandatory co-op content.

JYJ All content can be enjoyed as offline single-player. Raids can also be played solo offline, with the same rewards available.

Q41. E**** What are all the status ailments in the game? I think there are about 9?

JYJ There are 9 status ailments in total. - Physical: Stun, Down, Airborne, Break - Elemental: Burn, Chill, Poison, Shock, Bleed

Q42. E**** What are the names of the 5 (or more) factions in the game's story? Thank you!

JYJ There are 5 factions at official launch: the Johnny Mercenaries, Red Fox Mercenaries, Organa Order, Orbis Kingdom, and Lentus Rebellion Army.

Q43. g**** Will the main story at global launch cover the same content as the Korean open, or will we be able to progress further? Cheering you on always!

JYJ The main quests go up to Chapter 8, the same as the Korean open. We will do our best to update the main quests as quickly as possible.

Q44. K**** Will there be a leaderboard?

JYJ There are currently no plans to support a leaderboard. However, we do plan to support Steam achievements and trophies at official launch.

Q45. S**** Will we be able to grind as much as we want without any restrictions?

JYJ Yes. Limiting systems like the Key of Light (stamina system) have been removed from the package version, and you can farm for character growth and equipment as much as you like. However, some boss monsters in the world do have specific respawn cycles.

Q46. S**** Approximately how long is the game in its current state? Thanks in advance.

JYJ The main story alone takes an average of 20–30 hours. If you also enjoy the sub-stories and world exploration, the game is designed to provide much more playtime beyond that.

Q47. X**** Why are you changing the design of characters that have already gained popularity?

CEO Park We tried to design all characters faithfully to the story and lore, but as development stretched on, some characters' styles began to look dated. Those characters received mixed reactions both internally and from players, so we decided to renew some of them within feasible limits.

Q48. X**** Why does the game's OST feel weak? Dragon Nest had a lot of memorable music, but this game doesn't seem to.

CEO Park Many early-to-mid game OST tracks were composed by a composer who also worked on Dragon Nest. Even with the same composer, musical styles evolve over time, so it may feel different to you. We believe if you listen to all the tracks, you will find plenty of great music. Unfortunately, due to various circumstances including issues with Webzen, that composer left the project, and some later tracks were filled in by other composers and sound companies.

Q49. M**** I hope Dragon Sword doesn't disappoint like Dragon Nest did. Will new characters power-creep old ones? I want to invest in one character without being forced into endless grinding or pay-to-win. Please bring back more skill variety! [Summarized.]

JYJ New characters do not make old ones weaker or obsolete. Combat is designed around swapping 3 characters, giving you strategic variety through different combinations. If you prefer focusing on one main character, it's entirely possible to build your party around them with the other two in support roles. Our goal is also a game where the fun of farming and combat itself keeps players engaged — without forcing any spending.

Q50. ไ**** Love the character designs! Will there be an affinity or bond system where you can chat with companions in camp or town to get closer to them outside of combat?

JYJ There is no separate affinity or bond system.

Q51. s**** Is the game playable offline? Will there be auto or manual lock-on in combat? Are any endgame activities or New Game+ planned? [Summarized.]

JYJ The game is playable offline. A lock-on feature is currently being implemented and will be available at official launch. Tower content — where you defeat powerful monsters for rewards — will also be added at launch.

Q52. p**** Can players trade gear in co-op? Is there a dedicated lobby for meeting other players?

JYJ Item trading between players is not possible. There is no dedicated lobby for meeting other players, but we are conducting R&D to enable multiplayer in the open world after launch.

Q53. f**** Any Kingdom Under Fire fans on the team? (Really looking forward to the Next Fest demo! Rooting for you!)

CEO Park The CEO is a former Art Director on Kingdom Under Fire (PC) and Crusaders, and several developers previously worked on Kingdom Under Fire 2. Dragon Sword's character Kalsion shares a similar skill style to Regnier from Kingdom Under Fire: Crusaders — check him out!

Q54. F**** Hello devs! What games inspired you and gave you the drive to create the kind of games you make today?

CEO Park Dragon Sword is built on the core ideas from our own previous titles — Hundred Soul and Dragon Nest. For the open world design, we drew heavily from The Legend of Zelda series' world design sensibility. Beyond that, we were inspired by a wide variety of games throughout development!

Q55. J**** As someone deeply invested in Dragon Nest's PvP modes, I'd like to know if a PvP arena is possible — especially now that the game has moved away from the gacha model.

JYJ There are currently no plans to support official PvP content. However, an informal PvP mode to enjoy with friends is something we may consider in the future.

Q56. e**** Will Othello's model be adjusted before release? His hair currently looks unfinished compared to other characters — a shame given the overall high quality.

CEO Park The currently shown Othello is indeed still unfinished, as you noted. We will polish the details further before launch to deliver a higher quality result.

Q57. e**** Are there plans to improve the lighting? Everything looks very blue — especially at night, where it's as bright as daytime but just blue.

CEO Park Dragon Sword's overall lighting uses a slightly blue ambient color as its art style baseline for clear weather. However, weather changes and environments like dungeons apply a much wider range of colors and lighting. The atmosphere also varies significantly between bright and dark areas, so we hope that when you play it yourself, you'll experience the different moods across regions and environments!

Q58. 아**** Hello! I've been eagerly waiting for this game. Is there a random stat system on equipment? I really hope we don't need to farm endlessly for maximum stats — but if so, I'd like to mentally prepare.

JYJ Equipment does have a system where the type of stats on the main and sub options are assigned randomly. However, the value of those stats is fixed — if an attack stat rolls on a certain grade and slot, the number is always the same. We have also significantly expanded the ways to obtain items that lock main options or reroll sub options. The game is designed to reduce time needed for max stats while keeping farming fun.

Q59. 로**** Will the random option system for equipment and runes remain? Will the minimum and maximum stat ranges be disclosed?

JYJ The random option system for equipment and runes is being retained. The randomly assigned options and their stat values can be checked via the probability information in the in-game options menu.

Q60. 로**** Will the 6-stage character transcendence system remain? Can all characters be fully transcended through main story and weekly challenges alone, without forced open-world exploration?

JYJ The character transcendence system remains at 6 stages. You can naturally obtain transcendence materials from various content — including main story, growth guides, and mercenary guild achievements — just by playing. However, to fully transcend all characters, some additional acquisition through world exploration will likely be necessary.

Q61. N**** What is the monetization plan? Are expansions and DLC planned?

JYJ We plan to sell Familiars and costumes as DLC. Additionally, we will release a Deluxe Edition that includes the soundtrack and a digital artbook.

Q62. L**** How will characters be obtained — through story progression or another way? Also curious about a console release; the game looks like a great fit for Switch 2. [Summarized.]

JYJ All 19 heroes included at launch can be obtained in-game without additional payment — first through the main quest as you naturally meet them, and second by recruiting companions of your choice with currency earned through exploration. We are also currently conducting R&D for a console release.

Q63. g**** If the game is profitable, are there plans to hire more staff and increase content update frequency, like a monthly cadence? I want to enjoy it long-term, not just a one-time experience. [Summarized.]

JYJ If the game achieves good results, we plan to hire additional staff and increase the update pace. However, matching a live service update speed is not currently realistic given our team size. Even so, we will do our best to consistently deliver as much content as possible.

Q64. g**** Even without PvP, ongoing challenging content is needed — raids felt a bit slow due to high HP. Is the Tower from the mobile roadmap still in the game, and will it keep providing meaningful rewards? [Summarized.]

JYJ The Tower — a challenging endgame content — will be included at official launch. We are currently expanding the maximum number of floors and polishing the Tower to enhance the combat experience. Tower content rewards include key materials that can be exchanged for exclusive Karma.

Q65. B**** Are there plans for how long the game will receive regular updates? If so, what's the expected frequency — every 2–3 months or 4–6 months?

JYJ The regular update cycle has not yet been finalized, so it is difficult to say clearly. If the game performs well, we plan to hire more staff and increase the update pace, but given our current team size, matching a live service speed is not currently realistic. Even so, we will do our best to consistently deliver as much content as possible.

Q66. B**** Are there plans to translate the game text into other languages?

JYJ We are currently preparing German, French, Russian, and Portuguese localizations.

Q67. A**** I heard the CEO is a renowned concept artist, and the concept art shared in the server was truly amazing. [Question filtered.]

CEO Park The CEO personally created concept art from Kingdom Under Fire through Dragon Nest. His work features realistic proportions, and you can view his past work at "Ropie.com". For Hundred Soul and Dragon Sword, the CEO sets the conceptual direction while our artists handle the actual artwork.

Q68. A**** Could each developer share their favorite female character in the game? [Question filtered.]

JYJ / HooonJYJ Personally, I prefer Kallien. Each character has a unique silhouette suited to their personality and role — the result of our art team's dedicated craftsmanship. We'll leave the detailed ranking to you, our players! Hooon Choosing any woman other than Ornette is heresy. You may be punished.

Q69. A**** What was the most difficult part when you decided to adapt a live service gacha game into a single-player experience? Feel free to go as technical as you like.

JYJ Since the decision was made late in development, the hardest part was honestly the decision itself. Abandoning a largely built system and pivoting was a risk the entire team had to accept. Technically, removing the server architecture and redesigning the balance were especially challenging. We had to strip out systems built for live service and rebuild the gacha-based balance from scratch for a single-player experience — doing both simultaneously under a tight schedule was the biggest challenge.

Q70. A**** How did you convert the netcode from an online game to an offline one? Did the client emulate a local server? Feel free to go as technical as you like.

JYJ We implemented it by porting some server code into the client. Specifically, most server functions needed for gameplay — such as combat logic and data management — were moved to the client side. This allowed us to deliver the same game experience without requiring a separate server connection.

Thank you all for your questions! Stay tuned for more updates on Dragon Sword: Awakening.