[Edaily Reporter An Yu-ri ] Webzen Inc.(069080) ’s request for a preliminary injunction against Hound13, the developer of the mobile game “Dragon Sword,” to prohibit self-publishing was dismissed, and “Dragon Sword: Awakening” was released on Steam on the 23rd.

Hound13 announced that the Seoul Central District Court dismissed Webzen Inc.’s request for a preliminary injunction to block the release of “Dragon Sword: Awakening” on the 22nd.

This dispute began due to Webzen Inc.’s failure to pay the MG (Minimum Guarantee) under the publishing contract. Hound 13 terminated the contract on the grounds that contractual obligations had not been fulfilled, after which Webzen Inc. filed for an injunction to block the release of “Dragon Sword: Awakening.”

In a statement, Hound13 said, “The court ruled that Hound13’s termination of the contract was lawful and valid, as Webzen Inc. not only failed to fulfill its contractual obligation (payment of the MG) by the deadline but also explicitly stated its intention to refuse payment.”

They added, “The court also ruled that there was insufficient evidence to support Webzen Inc.’s claim of unauthorized use of translated materials and determined that it is unlikely Webzen Inc. would suffer irreparable harm even if ‘Dragon Sword: Awakening’ were released.”

With this decision, *Dragon Sword: Awakening* will be released globally via Steam on July 23 as scheduled.

Dragon Sword was originally a project being developed around online services and a gacha system, but approximately three months after the termination of its contract with Webzen Inc., the game’s structure was completely overhauled, and it was converted into a Steam package game (Buy-to-Play) with all gacha elements removed.

Meanwhile, as of the release date, *Dragon Sword* has surpassed 450,000 Steam wishlist entries.

Park Jeong-sik, CEO of Hound13, stated, “We are deeply honored that the court’s wise decision has allowed us to proceed with the launch as scheduled,” adding, “We hope Dragon Sword will serve as a successful starting point for our new IP, and we will continue to develop it into an even more polished game through ongoing updates and content improvements.”

The main lawsuit between the two companies regarding MG payments and other matters is still ongoing, and Webzen Inc. has indicated that it will file an appeal against the preliminary injunction. Webzen Inc. stated, “We plan to file an appeal to seek the court’s ruling once again on various facts and issues.”