Creator Yuji Horii reiterated the same on his own Twitter, adding, “I think we’ll have a lot to announce this year. Stay tuned.” Even producer Yosuke Saito promised a “grand celebration” (while also teasing a “little something” for NieR: Automata’s ninth anniversary) in 4Gamer’s end-of-year interview round-up with Japanese developers.

With so much fanfare, it almost feels certain that the team will provide updates on Dragon Quest 12: The Flames of Fate, the next mainline title in the franchise. Announced back in 2021, ironically enough, at the series’ 35th anniversary livestream, it reportedly faced delays, which seemingly caused lead producer Yu Miyake to step down from his role.

Horii reassured fans last year that the sequel is still in development and that the company would release tidbits of information “little by little.” Of course, aside from hinting at Nintendo Switch 2 compatibility, there have been no updates.

Dragon Quest Day takes place on May 27th, so expect details of a livestream in the coming months. In the meantime, Dragon Quest 7 Reimagined launches on February 5th for Xbox Series X/S, PS5, PC, Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2. It’s going the extra mile to streamline the original experience, but also features a brand new ending. Head here for more details.

“Yes, indeed, I can’t say anything, I apologise,” said Horii when asked about development progress on Dragon Quest 12: The Flames of Fate. “I am making it, putting lots of work into it”, he insists in the video below. “I can only say that the next work will be great too, working really hard. Please look forward to it, is the only thing I can say.”

Horii also spoke about the potential of releasing Dragon Quest 12 on the Nintendo Switch 2. While he didn’t give any concrete answers, his response did indicate that there might be plans to bring the RPG to Nintendo’s upcoming console. “Yes, I believe it could be compatible with Switch 2 as well,” he said.

Horii’s answers came just a few months after he assured fans of the series that work on the game was still continuing. Back in February, during a livestream, Horii assured fans that Square Enix was still “working hard on Dragon Quest 12.” More details, however, including a release window weren’t revealed. Rather, Horii said that the plan was to reveal more information about the game “little by little.”

The Dragon Quest 12 director has been accutely aware of how much anticipation is building up for the game. Back in May 2024, he had taken to social media to apologise for the overall lack of communication from the developers about the game. In his post, Horii wrote about wanting to ensure that the title would be a worthy tribute to series composer Koichi Sugiyama, as well as art director and character designer Akira Toriyama. Sugiyama, for context, had passed away back in 2021, while Toriyama had passed away earlier in 2024.

“Thank you so much to everyone for all the congratulations,” Horii wrote. “I’m sorry for the worry about Dragon Quest 12, but I was just having a meeting about it. I can’t say much yet, but I want to make something worthy of the posthumous work of the two people who passed away. I’ll do my best!”

Dragon Quest 12: The Flames of Fate was announced during the Dragon Quest 35th Anniversary Special livestream back in May 2021. The title, in development using Unreal Engine 5, was revealed with a teaser trailer. It is slated for a simultaneous worldwide release. Square Enix, however, hasn’t yet confirmed what platforms the game will be coming to. Considering the series’ tradition, it wouldn’t be surprising to see the RPG on PS5, Xbox Series X/S and PC when it finally comes out.

Speaking during a recent livestream, Horii assured that Square Enix is still “working hard on Dragon Quest 12“, and that the company hopes to be able to start releasing tidbits of information on the game “little by little” (via Automaton Media). 

It was reported in April last year that lead series producer Yu Miyake had stepped down from his position, and that Dragon Quest 12 had seen several delays behind-the-scenes. Not long afterward, Horii offered apologies for the lack of updates on the game and its development.

Sometime later this year, Square Enix will also release Dragon Quest 1 and 2 HD-2D Remake for PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch, and PC. 

Taking to Twitter in commemoration of the series’ 38th anniversary, Dragon Quest co-creator, director, and writer Yoji Horii apologized for the long wait for news on Dragon Quest 12: The Flames of Fate, which was announced in 2021.

Horii says the RPG’s development team is at work on the game, and that he wishes to ensure the game will be a worthy posthumous tribute to his fellow series co-creators, music composer Koichi Sugiyama (who passed away in 2021) and character designer and art director Akira Toriyama, who passed away earlier this year.

“Thank you so much to everyone for all the congratulations,” Horii wrote. “I’m sorry for the worry about Dragon Quest 12, but I was just having a meeting about it. I can’t say much yet, but I want to make something worthy of the posthumous work of the two people who passed away. I’ll do my best!”

Dragon Quest 12: The Flames of Fate is in development on Unreal Engine 5, and will “take into account the next 10 to 20 years of the Dragon Quest series.” Exact details on when it will launch or which platforms it will be available for are currently unknown, though recent reports have spoken about development issues and internal delays. Read more on that through here.

皆さん、たくさんのおめでとうを本当に、ありがとうございます。心配をかけているドラクエ12ですが、実はさっきまで、その打ち合わせをしていました。まだ詳しくは言えませんが、亡くなったお二人の遺作に相応しいものをと思っています。頑張るぞお！ https://t.co/QuVk0PCvNs

— 堀井雄二 (@YujiHorii) May 27, 2024

Square Enix is set to initiate a significant internal restructuring imminently, which will see the company renewing its focus on larger, flagship releases, and trying to revitalize the flagging sales of its titles. As part of those efforts, according to Bloomberg’s report, the Dragon Quest series’ leadership is seeing a key change.

More specifically, Yu Miyake is reportedly set to step down from his role as lead producer of the franchise. Miyake has held a director position on Square Enix’s board and has been responsible for overseeing a number of major Dragon Quest releases. Dragon Quest 12: The Flames of Fate has, however, seen development delays, according to Bloomberg’s sources, following which Miyake is being reassigned and will now be heading up Square Enix’s mobile games division.

As per the report, the likeliest candidate to replace Miyake as the main producer of the Dragon Quest franchise (including its upcoming twelfth mainline instalment) is Yosuke Saito, who is best known for his work on the NieR series, and also served as a producer on Dragon Quest 10.

Dragon Quest 12: The Flames of Fate is being developed on Unreal Engine 5, with Orca serving as its co-developer. According to Square Enix, it is “being developed taking into account the next 10 to 20 years of the Dragon Quest series.”

As for Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remake, series creator Yuji Horii recently revealed to Famitsu at World Cosplay Summit 2023 (translation via Gematsu) that development is “progressing quite steadily.” Regarding his involvement in the remake’s development, Horii said, “When it comes to Dragon Quest 3, I already created that game once before myself and know a lot about it, so I’ll give advice along the lines of, ‘If you want to change this, you should do it this way.'”

While the team is working on a “variety of things,” Horii unfortunately didn’t have any update on Dragon Quest 12. “As for Dragon Quest 12, there’s still not much I can say,” he said.

AMATA K.K. and Team Asano are developing Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remake, utilizing the Octopath Traveler engine for its striking new visuals. Aside from “home consoles”, the game’s platforms have yet to be announced, though a simultaneous worldwide launch is planned. Stay tuned for more details in the meantime.

Well, it looks like it’ll be a while. During a message shared by Dragon Quest 12 director and series co-creator Yuji Horii on the occasion of Dragon Quest Day 2022, Horii shared a brief update on the game, confirming that while Square Enix continues to work on the RPG, it’ll be a while before we hear more about it, and that there will be plenty more Dragon Quest content coming before we get to that point.

“We’re working hard on building Dragon Quest 12, but there’ll be plenty more Dragon Quest to tide you over until it’s finished,” Horii said (translation via Gematsu).

Until now, very few details have been confirmed for the game. We know that it’ll introduce changes to the series’ tried-and-true turn-based combat system, and that, unlike previous mainline instalments in the series, it’ll see a simultaneous worldwide release, whenever it launches (though no platforms have been announced for it just yet).

Square Enix CEO Yosuke Matsuda has previously said that Dragon Quest 12 is “being developed taking into account the next 10 to 20 years of the Dragon Quest series.”

As for what other Dragon Quest titles are currently in the works- Dragon Quest Treasures is currently in development, as is Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remake.

Originally starting out as a composer for TV shows like Return of Ultraman in 1971 and Cyborg 009 in 1979, Sugiyama’s first video game project was Enix’s World Golf in 1985. Though taking on various projects throughout the decades, he would predominantly compose for the Dragon Quest series from 2001 onwards. This included spin-offs like the Dragon Quest Builders series and 2020’s Dragon Quest Tact.

Sugiyama’s funeral was held with close family and friends with a memorial planned by Square Enix for the future. His final work was done for Dragon Quest 12: The Flames of Fate which doesn’t have a release date or platforms at this time.

The developer revealed that it’s recruiting for Unreal Engine 5 development staff to work on the role-playing game along with unannounced UE-developed game content. Available positions include Character Artist, Animator, Rendering Programmer, User Interface Artist and much more. While the extent of Orca’s involvement is unknown, this at least indicates that the title will be on a larger scale than its predecessor.

Dragon Quest 12: The Flames of Fate is currently slated to launch worldwide but doesn’t have a release date or confirmed platforms at this point. Its battle system has been “completely renewed” though and the story is already finished, though the developer will take some time to implement it. Stay tuned for more details in the coming months.

“There are parts that remain consistent with the traditional image of Dragon Quest, but new elements are also necessary. After all, as a brand we always need to innovate.” Horii previously revealed that the command battle system was being “completely renewed”, though whether this means new elements or a complete overhaul. As it stands, the story is already finished and the development team is working on its “implementation.”

Fans will have to wait though – Horii noted that the sequel is a “big game” and thus will require time to complete. Considering the size and scale of Dragon Quest 11: Echoes of an Elusive Age, a release by 2024 wouldn’t be surprising. In the meantime, a number of other projects are in the works including Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remake (which utilizes the Octopath Traveler engine) and Dragon Quest Treasures, a spin-off that focuses on Erik and Mia from Dragon Quest 11. Stay tuned for more details on platforms and release windows in the future.