{"rewrite":{"id":"r_2e03d9499e0fd24d8142d3f0","clusterId":"c_51bf3d6d7111c6f3b85faea0","slug":"hound13-s-dragon-sword-awakening-launches-on-steam-july-23","model":"deepseek-v4-flash:free","headline":"Dragon Sword: Awakening Delayed One Hour Before Steam Launch","summary":"HOUND13's open-world action RPG \"Dragon Sword: Awakening\" was delayed on July 23, 2026, just one hour before its scheduled 7:00 AM JST Steam release. The developer announced the postponement at 6:00 AM JST, citing incomplete Steam application review. HOUND13 stated that review feedback had been addressed and the game was awaiting final approval, with a new release date to be announced once confirmed. The delay follows a legal dispute between HOUND13 and former publisher Webzen over unpaid royalties and contract termination, which led to the game being rebuilt as a buy-to-play title without gacha. The Seoul Central District Court rejected Webzen's injunction to block the release on July 22. The game is priced at 3,480 yen for the Standard Edition and features 19 playable heroes, a party combo action system, and exploration with collectible familiars inspired by \"Breath of the Wild.\" HOUND13 plans post-launch content including four new heroes and a Sky Island region. The game currently has Korean voice acting with Japanese subtitles; the developer expressed interest in adding Japanese dubbing but cited cost and time constraints.","whyItMatters":"The last-minute delay, after a court cleared the legal path to release, shows that procedural hurdles with Steam's review process can be as disruptive as publisher disputes for indie studios.","webCardHtml":"\u003cp\u003eCEO and director Park Jungsic and PD Jang Yoonjin told Game Spark that the studio chose the buy-to-play model because a payment suspension by former publisher Webzen left them with no revenue. \u0026#34;Rather than see the game disappear, we wanted to leave it as a work,\u0026#34; they said.\u003c/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe combat system evolved from the studio\u0026#39;s previous game \u0026#34;Hundred Souls.\u0026#34; The team designed it around three keywords: status ailments, tag actions, and combos. Players chain status effects across party members to trigger \u0026#34;Signal Skills\u0026#34; and \u0026#34;Tag Combos\u0026#34; when switching heroes. Some enemies, especially bosses, resist certain ailments, so party composition requires adjustment per encounter.\u003c/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe open world was modeled after \u0026#34;The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.\u0026#34; Landmarks like windmills and goddess statues are placed to draw the player\u0026#39;s eye from a distance. Terrain elevation changes hide discoveries that come into view as the player moves. Familiars are collectible exploration partners rather than a single mount. Each type has a unique skill: gliding from high places, climbing rocky areas, or swimming and diving. Collecting two or more of the same type shares the skill across all familiars.\u003c/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003ePost-launch plans include four new heroes added over the second half of 2026: Riza (shock specialist), Jerome (knockdown focus), Veronica (bare-handed combat and guns), and Logan (shield tank). A \u0026#34;Sky Island\u0026#34; region is in development with puzzles, minigames, and unique monsters. Hero Requests telling backstories not covered in the main quest will arrive, starting with Othello\u0026#39;s story then Riza\u0026#39;s.\u003c/p\u003e","blueskyPost":"HOUND13 delayed Dragon Sword: Awakening one hour before launch due to an incomplete Steam review. The court cleared the legal hurdle the day before; the platform gatekeeper did not.","twitterPost":"HOUND13 cleared a legal block on July 22. The next morning, Steam's review process stopped the launch.","threadsPost":"Dragon Sword: Awakening's delay came one hour before release, caused by an incomplete Steam application review. The developer had just won a court ruling against former publisher Webzen the day before. The legal obstacle was gone, but the platform gatekeeper was not.","newsletterBlurb":"HOUND13's open-world RPG \"Dragon Sword: Awakening\" was delayed one hour before its Steam launch due to incomplete platform review, despite a court clearing its legal path the day before. The game, rebuilt as a buy-to-play title after a publisher payment dispute, features 19 heroes and combo-based combat.","attributionJson":"[{\"source\":\"4Gamer.net\",\"url\":\"https://www.4gamer.net/games/999/G099933/20260721002/\",\"title\":\"[Preview Report] Early Impressions of \\\"Dragon Sword: Awakening\\\" Releasing July 23: An Open-World PC RPG Where You Pursue the \\\"Truth of the Six Heroes\\\" in Thrilling Battles\"},{\"source\":\"Automaton\",\"url\":\"https://automaton-media.com/articles/newsjp/dragonsword-awakening-20260723-456231/\",\"title\":\"Anime-Style Open-World RPG 'Dragon Sword: Awakening' Abruptly Delayed 'One Hour Before Release'\"},{\"source\":\"Game Spark\",\"url\":\"http://www.gamespark.jp/article/2026/07/23/169617.html\",\"title\":\"Rather than see the game disappear, we wanted to leave it as a buy-to-play title-Overcoming difficulties to release. Anime-style open-world RPG 'Dragon Sword: Awakening' [Developer Interview]\"}]","lintFlagsJson":null,"lintHits":0,"costUsd":0,"inputTokens":16557,"outputTokens":1471,"status":"published","repairAttempts":0,"nextRepairAt":null,"factsAttemptedAt":1784673709,"createdAt":"2026-07-21T22:31:33.000Z","publishedAt":"2026-07-21T22:35:45.000Z","updatedAt":"2026-07-23T02:48:30.000Z"},"cluster":{"id":"c_51bf3d6d7111c6f3b85faea0","canonicalTitle":"［プレイレポ］7月23日リリースの「ドラゴンソード：アウェイクニング」先行インプレッション。爽快なバトルで“六英雄の真実”を追う，PC向けオープンワールドRPG","representativeArticleId":"a_c59769e074d04f62982f2a0b","sourceCount":3,"writtenSourceCount":3,"writeAttempts":0,"isSolo":false,"entitiesJson":"{\"anime_titles\":[],\"manga_titles\":[],\"work_titles\":[\"Dragon Sword: Awakening\"],\"studios\":[\"HOUND13\"],\"people\":[],\"type\":\"review\",\"domain\":\"games\",\"is_roundup\":false}","contentType":"news","status":"written","firstSeenAt":"2026-07-21T22:00:00.000Z","lastSeenAt":"2026-07-23T09:30:03.000Z","updatedAt":"2026-07-23T09:36:15.000Z"},"attribution":[{"source":"4Gamer.net","url":"https://www.4gamer.net/games/999/G099933/20260721002/","title":"［プレイレポ］7月23日リリースの「ドラゴンソード：アウェイクニング」先行インプレッション。爽快なバトルで“六英雄の真実”を追う，PC向けオープンワールドRPG"},{"source":"Automaton","url":"https://automaton-media.com/articles/newsjp/dragonsword-awakening-20260723-456231/","title":"アニメ調オープンワールドRPG『ドラゴンソード:アウェイクニング』、「発売1時間前」に急遽リリース延期。真っ先に“リリースしたさ”が先走り"},{"source":"Game Spark","url":"http://www.gamespark.jp/article/2026/07/23/169647.html","title":"見た目は基本無料系なのに買い切りでガチャがない。美男美女にかわいい動物も勢揃いのアニメ風オープンワールドRPG『ドラゴンソード:アウェイクニング』プレイレポ"}],"entities":{"anime_titles":[],"manga_titles":[],"work_titles":["Dragon Sword: Awakening"],"studios":["HOUND13"],"people":[],"type":"review","domain":"games","is_roundup":false},"keyFacts":["\"Dragon Sword: Awakening\" was delayed on July 23, 2026, one hour before its scheduled 7:00 AM JST Steam release.","The game is priced at 3,480 yen for the Standard Edition on Steam.","The Seoul Central District Court rejected Webzen's injunction to block the release on July 22, 2026.","The game features 19 playable heroes and a party combo action system centered on status ailments and tag combos.","HOUND13 plans to add four new heroes and a Sky Island region as post-launch content."]}