In an attempt to put the brakes on the Steam launch of DragonSword: Awakening, Webzen has filed for an injunction to block self-publishing, and Hound13 has finally broken its silence with an official statement.

On the 22nd, Hound13 took to the Steam community hub to clarify the current state of their Steam launch and address Webzen's legal maneuver. DragonSword: Awakening is essentially the Steam incarnation of the original 'DragonSword'—a project that faced an uncertain future following the dissolution of its publishing deal with Webzen—and is now slated for a premium package release. Hound13 maintains that their Steam operations are backed by legitimate authority and that the original publishing contract was lawfully terminated.

The root of this corporate headache? Webzen's failure to pay the Minimum Guarantee (MG). Back in February, Webzen failed to cough up 60% of the agreed MG, prompting Hound13 to notify them of a contract termination. Although Webzen, in a rather belated move, settled the remaining balance in full, Hound13 argues that the initial breach left them with no choice but to cease operations. Consequently, they were forced to restructure their core development team and pivot toward self-publishing to keep the project alive.

Furthermore, Hound13 dismissed Webzen's claim that the publishing contract remains in force as nothing more than a one-sided narrative, noting that the validity of the termination is now a matter for the courts to decide. They insist that because Webzen failed to honour its explicit MG payment obligations, the contract was already legally voided as of February 13th.

Despite the legal posturing, DragonSword: Awakening is still gunning for a June demo release and a full launch in July. Hound13 wrapped up their statement by saying, "We are working tirelessly to ensure the Steam service proceeds without a hitch, so that those who love DragonSword can enjoy the game in a stable environment."