Hound13 announced on the 22nd that the Seoul Central District Court has dismissed the injunction filed by Webzen to halt the launch of Dragon Sword: Awakening. With this judicial decision, Hound13 is set to proceed with the release of Dragon Sword: Awakening right on schedule.

The conflict between the two companies dates back to last February, stemming from a dispute over unpaid Minimum Guarantees (MG) tied to their publishing contract. At the time, Webzen failed to pay the MG within the agreed-upon timeframe, leading Hound13 to notify the publisher of a contract termination. Subsequently, Hound13 announced plans to rebrand and restructure the game, emerging as Dragon Sword: Awakening.

Webzen took the matter to court in April, filing for an injunction to block the game's release, but the court rejected the motion in its entirety. The court ruled that Hound13’s termination of the contract was lawful, noting that Webzen not only failed to meet its contractual obligation to pay the MG but also explicitly expressed an intent to withhold payment.

Furthermore, the court found insufficient evidence to support Webzen’s claims regarding the unauthorized use of translated materials. It also determined that the game's release would not cause irreparable harm to Webzen. Having cleared this legal hurdle, Dragon Sword: Awakening is now launching simultaneously worldwide on Steam on the 23rd.

Park Jung-sik, the CEO of Hound13, remarked, "I find it highly meaningful that we can proceed with the launch as planned thanks to the court's wise decision." The CEO added, "I hope Dragon Sword will serve as a successful starting point for a new IP, and I promise to continue refining the game through ongoing updates and content improvements."