DragonSword: Awakening Brings UE5 Tag-Team Combat to Steam
Key Takeaways
- DragonSword: Awakening launched on Steam on July 23, 2026, dropping all gacha mechanics for a buy-to-play single-player format.
- The game features a 19-character roster unlocked entirely through story progress and in-game exchange, alongside Unreal Engine 5 tag combat.
- Steam Deck hardware testing confirms stable 30 FPS gameplay using Low Effects quality and TSR or FSR set to High Quality.
The Journey From Webzen Gacha to Standalone Steam RPG
Developer Hound13 officially launched DragonSword: Awakening on Steam at 12:10 PM KST on July 23, 2026, ending a turbulent development transition. The game was originally released in South Korea in January 2026 as a live-service gacha title published by Webzen. After terminating the publishing agreement in February, Hound13 opted to restructure the project into an independent, buy-to-play single-player package.
The launch proceeded immediately after the dismissal of a legal injunction filed by Webzen on July 22. According to the official Steam launch announcement by Hound13, the game accumulated over 450,000 wishlists prior to release.
The Standard Edition is priced at $29.99, while the Deluxe Edition sits around $48.98 with an initial launch discount. The conversion to a traditional RPG eliminates all gacha character pulls. All 19 playable heroes are unlocked strictly through main story chapters or in-game exchange rewards, leaving cosmetic costumes and familiars as the only post-launch paid DLC.
🐉 DragonSword : Awakening — NOW LIVE ON STEAM 🗡️
— DragonSword : Awakening (@DSAwakening) July 23, 2026
To the 450,000 of you who wishlisted, and to every Hero who walked this long road with us — thank you.
See you on the Orbis Continent.
▶️ https://t.co/boP0bIExuN
— Park Jungsic (Ropie), CEO / Director, Hound13… pic.twitter.com/n9Jqo8n2nD
How Does Tag Combat and Exploration Work in DragonSword: Awakening?
DragonSword: Awakening utilizes a three-character tag-team combat system focused on elemental status ailments and Signal Skills. Players stack status effects using active abilities to break enemy armor gauges. This triggers instant tag attacks across a 19-hero roster while exploring an Unreal Engine 5 open world called Orbis.
The narrative follows Lute, a young traveler with healing abilities, alongside mercenary captain Johnny and the elf Castella. Together they search for six legendary heroes to stop a returning dragon threat. Combat heavily emphasizes party synergy over complex button execution.
By combining specific status effects—such as applying stun or burn—players can shatter Break gauges on bosses. This renders targets defenseless against tag combos and massive damage strings.
Despite the removal of monetary gacha mechanics, structural elements of the game’s original live-service design remain present. Early reviews note that character progression still relies on repeating trait dungeons and material grinding across its 80-chapter story structure.
What Are the Best Steam Deck Settings for DragonSword: Awakening?
The optimal Steam Deck configuration for DragonSword: Awakening requires capping the framerate at 30 FPS, setting Effects Quality to Low, and applying TSR or FSR upscaling to High Quality. This balance prevents severe frame dips during heavy 20-plus enemy encounters while maintaining overall image clarity.
Unreal Engine 5 games frequently face optimization challenges on portable devices, but hardware benchmarks demonstrate that DragonSword: Awakening maintains stable performance on Linux via Proton compatibility. Direct testing conducted in a SteamDeckHQ performance analysis reveals that running the game on Normal Effects quality causes frame rate fluctuations between 24 and 40 FPS during dense battles.
Lowering the Effects setting specifically reduces rendering spikes during particle-heavy attack animations. Keeping all other graphical settings at Normal alongside High Quality TSR upscaling maintains a stable 30 FPS frame delivery, providing smoother frame pacing and reduced battery drain during extended handheld sessions.
Despite it being an open-world Unreal Engine 5 title, DragonSword: Awakening runs quite well on the #SteamDeck, and it's an easy recommendation:https://t.co/J1PuPKNUcD
— SteamDeckHQ (@SteamDeckHQ) July 22, 2026
A solid conversion from Gacha to Single player
Hound13’s decision to shift DragonSword: Awakening from a live-service gacha to a standalone $29.99 release offers a complete single-player package without microtransaction paywalls.
While the core gameplay loop retains the material-grinding structure of its original framework, the high visual fidelity of Unreal Engine 5, expressive voice work, and fluid tag-team mechanics deliver a complete and solid action RPG experience.
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A video game enthusiast ever since I first got my hands on a Game Boy. Over the years, I've played many different games across various genres, discovering hidden gems and niche titles along the way. I'm also passionate about technology, always up-to-date with the latest news and insight in the PC and Console market. Ready to share and bring you the latest news !
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