Hound 13, having been locked in a bitter dispute with publisher Webzen over unpaid Minimum Guarantee (MG) fees, has confirmed that the outstanding balance has finally been settled. While this payment doesn't automatically resurrect their terminated publishing deal, Hound 13 insists they are open to discussions with Webzen to potentially get the domestic service for Dragon Sword back on track.

Webzen, for their part, had previously injected 30 billion KRW into Hound 13. They argued that paying the remaining MG wouldn't have guaranteed a stable service anyway, claiming they were in the middle of negotiating further investment when Hound 13 suddenly dropped the contract termination notice. Following the fallout, Webzen took the nuclear option, announcing a full refund for every single transaction made since the game's launch this January.

Addressing the proposed 'extra investment,' Hound 13 CEO Park Jung-sik revealed why they couldn't bite: Webzen’s terms effectively required them to hand over a majority stake at par value, a figure he described as a mere fraction of the original investment. He felt he couldn't unilaterally sacrifice the value and equity of other shareholders, regardless of his own position.

On February 28, Hound 13 updated their official website to confirm that Webzen had transferred the MG balance on the 27th. However, Hound 13 made it crystal clear: the MG is a contractual obligation tied to the launch schedule, and receiving late payment is hardly a 'get out of jail free' card that automatically restores the original publishing agreement.

With Webzen already having processed full refunds, a swift return to domestic service looks like a tall order. Still, Hound 13 remains cautiously optimistic. "We see this as a sign that Webzen is willing to engage in more proactive discussions regarding the aftermath," the developer stated. "We, along with our shareholders, remain ready to keep the dialogue going."

Dragon Sword, which launched on January 21, has faced a rocky road thanks to this developer-publisher spat. Whether the two parties can actually steer the domestic service back into safe waters remains the million-dollar question.