DragonSword: Awakening turns a failed live service into a comeback

DragonSword: Awakening has one of the strangest comeback stories we have seen from an anime action RPG in quite some time. What started as a Korean free-to-play live service was rebuilt into a premium PC game, stripped of its gacha systems and released on Steam after surviving a legal attempt to stop its launch. Against the odds, the gamble has paid off.

Developed by Hound13, DragonSword: Awakening now offers its colourful open world, large roster of heroes and fast tag-team combat without asking players to pull characters from random banners. Heroes and progression rewards are earned through quests, story content and normal in-game systems instead. That change gives the adventure a more welcoming feel, especially for players who enjoy anime RPGs but are tired of stamina limits, premium currencies and limited-time banners.

More than 23,000 players join the awakening

The launch numbers suggest plenty of players were ready to give this version a chance. DragonSword: Awakening climbed beyond 23,000 concurrent players on Steam and quickly earned a Very Positive reception. That is an impressive result for a game emerging from a troubled publishing situation, especially when its previous live-service identity could easily have scared players away.

Combat is where the game makes its strongest impression. Players build teams around status effects, armour breaks and Signal Skills, switching between heroes to extend combos and keep enemies trapped in flashy attack chains. It shares some similarities with Granblue Fantasy: Relink, especially in its colourful anime presentation, party-based battles and spectacular special attacks. However, DragonSword: Awakening places even more emphasis on rapid character switching and chaining abilities together. Most importantly, its premium structure means players can unlock heroes by playing rather than relying on random pulls. 

Not every trace of its mobile roots has disappeared. Upgrade materials, layered progression menus and repeatable activities can still feel grind-heavy, while the interface occasionally reminds you that the project began as a live-service game. Even so, the transition works far better than many expected, and Hound13 has already been moving quickly to address technical problems and progression issues raised by the community.

DragonSword: Awakening has transformed a potentially doomed project into a cheerful Steam success story. If its stylish combat and gacha-free anime adventure sound like your next RPG obsession, use our price comparison tool to find the best prices for DragonSword: Awakening.