The situation surrounding 'Dragon Sword', which was sparked by a dispute over unpaid minimum guarantee balances, is escalating. Webzen has filed for an injunction against the developer, Hound 13, following their announcement of plans for self-publishing.

On the 21st, Webzen announced via the official Dragon Sword community that they have filed for an injunction to block the developer from self-publishing. Furthermore, they stated that they are pursuing a lawsuit to firmly confirm the validity of their publishing rights.

This situation began in February when Hound 13 notified Webzen of a contract termination due to missed minimum guarantee payments. In response, Webzen stated that they would prioritize user protection by refunding all payments made since the game's launch, and while they would halt further transactions, they would maintain the game service until further notice.

In March, Webzen emphasized that they had settled the outstanding balance with Hound 13 on February 27th and that the 'contract termination' claimed by Hound 13 was invalid. While Hound 13 initially expressed an intention to move past the dispute over the validity of the contract termination and focus on a practical resolution through negotiation, they hinted that negotiations had collapsed when they announced a Steam release on April 3rd.

According to Webzen's announcement released three weeks later, Webzen had urged the developer to normalize game services as the publisher, but the developer maintained their stance on preparing for a Steam service instead of continuing domestic operations.

Webzen stated the reason for the injunction, saying, "A Steam service prepared by the developer without lawful publishing rights will cause further confusion regarding the protection of domestic and international game users and damage relief." They added, "We will continue our efforts to resolve the dispute according to legal procedures and secure a stable game service environment," and promised to continue providing updates regarding the service through the community.

Meanwhile, Hound 13 had previously announced plans to re-release the game on Steam as a package version titled 'Dragon Sword: Awakening', with participation in the Steam Next Fest in June and a launch in July. However, due to Webzen's injunction, the progress of the launch has become uncertain.