Open-world action RPG DragonSword: Awakening has landed on Steam for PC, pulling in strong early responses after surviving a complicated development process, a publisher lawsuit, and an 11th-hour launch delay.

Quick Facts

  • Platform: PC (via Steam)
  • Release Date: July 22, 2026
  • Price: $30
  • Developer: Hound13
  • Current Reception: 90% positive after over 4,600 reviews

Development on DragonSword: Awakening faced serious friction when former publisher Webzen sued developer Hound13 over a contract dispute, with Webzen accusing the studio of failing to fulfill its obligations. Publisher legal issues and a last-minute delay left the open-world RPG's future uncertain. Things remained shaky right up until launch day on July 22, when Hound13 producer JYJ posted a Steam apology announcing an eleventh-hour delay because the platform's app review was not completed in time.

Despite those hurdles, the game launched on Steam and quickly found an audience. SteamDB charts show DragonSword: Awakening hitting concurrent player highs every day without any promotional discounts, sitting at 90% positive reviews across more than 4,600 user ratings.

A Non-Gacha Alternative

Because of its visual style and former gacha DNA, DragonSword: Awakening has drawn heavy comparisons to games like Genshin Impact. However, Hound13 avoided the traditional gacha monetization framework in favor of a normal $30 premium pricing model, putting its design closer to titles like Granblue Fantasy: Relink.

An FAQ posted by the developers on Steam in April explicitly clarified the project's identity: it is not a gacha game, nor is it an MMORPG. Instead, it is structured as a single-player RPG centered on story and exploration within an open world, featuring 19 playable heroes, mounts, cooking mechanics, costumes, dungeons, flying, and underwater temples.

AI Disclosure and Player Reception

Following a path seen in other open-world titles like Crimson Desert, Hound13 provided a clear generative AI disclosure regarding the game's production. The developer stated that generative AI was not used to create any in-game content resources, but was utilized strictly for translating certain dialogue and external content such as Steam page text and community posts.

Early player reception on Steam has leaned heavily into praise for the removal of randomized banner mechanics. Reviewers frequently describe the game as an appealing fusion of open-world exploration and action combat, noting that the $30 price point offers substantial value for a complete, non-gacha package.