Back on the 19th, the simmering tension between Webzen and Hound13 regarding Dragon Sword finally boiled over. Hound13 pulled the plug on their publishing agreement, citing a breach of contract due to the non-payment of the remaining 60% of the Minimum Guarantee (MG). Webzen, on the other hand, claims that Hound13 unilaterally terminated the deal while they were still in talks for further investment, leading them to announce a full refund policy. At the heart of this mess lies the lackluster performance of Dragon Sword. It is a classic standoff: Hound13 wants a fresh start with a new publisher to keep the game alive, while Webzen argues they proposed further investment and takes the sudden termination notice—and the public announcement—rather seriously.

The drama escalated the following day on the 20th, as both parties traded further statements. Hound13 listed a litany of grievances: the publisher requesting delays due to competing releases, a lack of transparency in marketing, and, of course, that unpaid 60% MG. Things got particularly heated when Hound13 claimed they discovered Webzen was already considering 'discontinuing Dragon Sword services and providing full refunds,' which prompted them to seek a new partner to save both the game and the studio. Hound13 says they 'hope to resolve this through discussion and negotiation,' and Webzen echoed a similar sentiment on the afternoon of the 20th, stating they are 'committed to finding an amicable solution with the developer.'

With the blame game in full swing, the players of Dragon Sword are left in limbo. The sentiment across communities and social media is far from pleasant: 'I finally found a game I liked, and now it's being canned,' 'I spent my entire holiday playing this, what is going on?', 'Service terminated right after an update?', and 'A full refund basically means the game is dead, doesn't it?' are just a few of the frustrated reactions making the rounds.

While this might look like a mere disagreement over contract clauses, the reality is a classic power struggle over cash and control. Think of it this way: the chef is walking out because the promised paycheck never arrived, while the restaurant manager claims the place isn't turning a profit and is trying to leverage equity in exchange for the missing funds and further investment. With the future of this partnership looking rather bleak, the customers are the ones left wondering if they should keep dining at this shaky establishment or just find the nearest exit.