DragonSword: Awakening from Hound13 locks to one worldwide unlock, so everyone gets access at the same moment regardless of region. It launches on Steam for PC as a buy-to-play title, with no gacha and no pre-purchase.
Quick answer: The game goes live at July 23, 2026, 07:00 KST, which is July 22, 2026, 22:00 UTC (3:00 PM PDT / 6:00 PM EDT). Wishlist it on Steam to get an automatic launch notification, since there is no pre-purchase.
Release time: July 23, 2026, 07:00 KST (July 22, 22:00 UTC)
Release status: Confirmed for July 23 KST
The launch date is confirmed. Hound13 set a single simultaneous unlock across every region, timed to 07:00 KST on July 23, 2026. Because the trigger is one fixed moment, players west of Korea see it flip live on the calendar day of July 22.
There is no staggered rollout and no pre-order. The Steam store page lists the planned unlock and counts down to that exact time.
Local release times by region
The single global unlock converts to the following local times. Use this to know exactly when the game becomes playable where you are.
| Region | Local release time |
|---|---|
| US Pacific (PT) | Wed, July 22, 3:00 PM |
| US Eastern (ET) | Wed, July 22, 6:00 PM |
| Brazil | Wed, July 22, 7:00 PM |
| UTC | Wed, July 22, 10:00 PM |
| United Kingdom | Wed, July 22, 11:00 PM |
| Central Europe | Thu, July 23, 12:00 AM |
| South Africa | Thu, July 23, 12:00 AM |
| Australia (West) | Thu, July 23, 6:00 AM |
| Philippines | Thu, July 23, 6:00 AM |
| Japan / Korea | Thu, July 23, 7:00 AM |
| Australia (East) | Thu, July 23, 8:00 AM |
| New Zealand | Thu, July 23, 11:00 AM |
How to get notified at launch
Since Hound13 is not offering pre-purchase, the wishlist is the way to be alerted the instant it unlocks.
You know it worked when the store page changes from a countdown to an active purchase button at 22:00 UTC on July 22. If the button still shows a countdown, the unlock time has not yet passed in your region.
Editions and pricing
DragonSword: Awakening is a one-time purchase. A single buy unlocks all heroes and content, and there are no stamina limits, no server dependency, and no microtransactions gating progress. Every hero is obtainable through the story or in-game currency.
| Edition | Price | Includes |
|---|---|---|
| Standard | $29.99 | Base game |
| Deluxe | $44.99 | Base game, Original Soundtrack, Digital Artbook, and the “Brave Baby Dragon” familiar |
Free launch familiar: Abyssal Direwolf
Everyone who picks up the game during the launch window gets the “Abyssal Direwolf” familiar DLC at a 100% discount, meaning it is completely free. The promotion runs from July 23 through August 31, 2026. After that date, the familiar reverts to its standard paid price, so claim it to your library before the window closes.
Platforms and system requirements
The game is Steam exclusive on PC at launch, with Steam Deck support in preparation via Proton. Mobile is not planned. A console release remains a possibility for the future but has not been announced.
| Component | Minimum | Recommended |
|---|---|---|
| OS | Windows 10 (64-bit) | Windows 10 (64-bit) |
| Processor | Intel i5-9400F | Intel i7-9700F |
| Memory | 8 GB RAM | 16 GB RAM |
| Graphics | NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 |
| DirectX | Version 12 | Version 12 |
| Storage | 25 GB available | 25 GB available |
Note: An SSD is strictly required for a smooth experience. Installing on an HDD can cause long loading times, texture pop-in, framerate drops, or crashes.
What you get at launch
DragonSword: Awakening is an anime-style open-world tag-action RPG built on Unreal Engine 5. You play as Lute, a young boy traveling toward Orbis, the first kingdom built by humankind, who falls in with the mercenary Johnny and the elf Castella. Sixty years after a Dragon last threatened the continent, one returns, and the party sets out to trace the legacy of six old Heroes.
- 19 playable heroes, each with distinct Status Ailment abilities and Signal Skills.
- Real-time tag-team switching that stacks status effects and chains combos.
- Single-player offline play, plus online co-op for shared exploration (up to 2 players for subjugation, 3 for raids via invite codes).
- Open-world content including cooking, side stories, and collectible Familiars.
- Roughly 10–15 hours for the main story, and about 30–40 hours with open-world and side content.
Voice acting is in Korean, with subtitles and UI in English, Japanese, Korean, Simplified and Traditional Chinese, Thai, Spanish, German, Russian, French, and Brazilian Portuguese. With the launch fixed at 22:00 UTC on July 22, the countdown above tracks the exact moment the store button flips live.
