Hound 13's open world action RPG, 'Dragon Sword: Awakening,' has been released on the 23rd.

'Dragon Sword: Awakening' is a repackaged, self-published version of the live-service game 'Dragon Sword,' which Hound 13 originally released through Webzen this past January. From its initial reveal, the game drew attention for its open world, which captures a classic fantasy aesthetic, and its signature switch-action system—an evolution of the developer's previous title, 'Hundred Soul.' However, after terminating its publishing agreement with Webzen in February, the developer decided to launch the game independently on Steam. The official release followed the dismissal of an injunction filed by Webzen on the 22nd.

With the legal issues resolved prior to launch, Hound 13 confirmed on the 22nd that 'Dragon Sword: Awakening' would proceed with its scheduled release at 7:00 AM KST on the 23rd. However, as the final Steam review was not yet complete, Producer Jang Yoon-jin posted a delay notice and an apology to users just one hour before the planned launch. Hound 13 explained via Discord and a call with INVEN that they had been under review since July 1st and had submitted their final review request on the 15th, promising to release the game as soon as the process concluded. The final Steam review was completed around 11:50 AM, and the game officially launched on Steam at 12:10 PM.

Alongside the Steam launch, pricing was revealed for the Standard Edition, which includes the base game, and the Deluxe Edition, which adds an art book, soundtrack, and the 'Valiant Hatchling' familiar. The Standard Edition is priced at ₩33,000, while the Deluxe Edition is ₩55k; the latter is currently available at a 10% launch discount for ₩49500. As it has been restructured into a package game, characters are no longer obtained through gacha mechanics but are instead acquired via in-game quests or rewards at the exchange center. Only cosmetic items, such as familiars and costumes, are sold separately as paid DLC.

More information about Dragon Sword: Awakening can be found on its Steam page.