The Dragon Sword team received their money from Webzen, but the game is still under threat
The dispute between Hound13 and Webzen took a weird turn: Webzen went ahead and sent the remaining guaranteed sum to the studio — that very payment that sparked the row. Last week Hound13 accused the publisher of trying to seize control and of delaying transfers that pushed the studio to the edge (the Dragon Sword developers said survival was at stake).
Cash, however, was not a cure-all. Hound13 says the termination notice is still in effect, i.e., the legal break hasn’t been withdrawn. Each side lobbed complaints: Webzen cites missed deadlines; the studio points to poor promotion, esp. a lack of coordinated marketing and communication.
For now the game is effectively on ice — the publisher has refunded players and halted sales of in‑game items, leaving the project and its community in limbo.