Hound13 Pushes for an Independent Steam Release
Hound13 is currently in a painful situation, having undergone massive restructuring that slashed their workforce from 160 down to around 50 employees. With negotiations with Webzen essentially broken down, the remaining staff has thrown their final Hail Mary: self-publishing the game on the Steam platform to keep it alive. They plan to open the Steam store page as early as next week and are accelerating development with a target release window of July or August this year.
No More Gacha! A Complete Shift to a Standalone Game
The most notable part of this announcement is the complete overhaul of their business model. They are boldly scrapping the character gacha system originally planned during its mobile live-service phase, fully transitioning to a standalone game where a single purchase unlocks all content. Players will be able to recruit characters by progressing through the story or using in-game currency, with no extra microtransactions required. For players fatigued by traditional gacha systems, this is incredibly appealing news.
Aiming at Global Action RPG Fans
They are fully leveraging the Steam platform to launch a global service without regional server restrictions. Supporting four languages—Korean, English, Japanese, and Chinese—they plan to directly knock on the doors of the global market, spearheaded by Hound13's signature high-quality combat action.
A Decision Met with Excitement and Concern
When I personally played Dragon Sword during its initial launch, I experienced its heavily crafted combat system, unique character designs, and an immersive classic hero's journey story. My thought back then was, "Wouldn't this game be a much better fit as a console-style single-player experience rather than a live-service game?" Because of that, the news of its business model shifting to a standalone game is incredibly welcome.
However, it's true that I have some realistic concerns. With only about 50 staff members left after the massive layoffs, can they really polish a high-quality single-player game in the short 3-to-4-month window they have left? Live-service games are typically designed with long-term pacing in mind for continuous updates. I wonder how much content they have actually pre-built, and frankly, I'm worried whether the remaining team can properly wrap up the story and deliver it as a "complete standalone game" in the time they have left.
Nevertheless, I truly want to applaud the developer's resolve for not giving up on the game and pushing forward with sheer grit, even on the edge of a cliff. I sincerely hope the game gets well-polished in the remaining time so we can meet it again as a fantastic, well-made action game on Steam this summer.
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