Fans of the iconic Dragon Quest series can breathe a sigh of relief as Yuji Horii, the mastermind behind the franchise, has confirmed that Dragon Quest 12: The Flames of Fate is still in development and has not been canceled. Announced as part of the series' 35th anniversary celebration back in 2021, Dragon Quest 12 marks the first mainline entry since 2017's Dragon Quest 11: Echoes of an Elusive Age. Despite the silence following the initial announcement, Horii broke his silence in February, stating that the development team at Square Enix is "working hard" and that information about the game would be released gradually.
True to his word, updates have been sparse, but in a recent interview with Gamereactor, Horii provided a reassuring update. He apologized for the lack of detailed information, saying, "Yes, indeed, I can't say anything, I apologize. I am making it, putting lots of work into it... I can only say that the next work will be great too, [I'm] working really hard. Please look forward to it is the only thing I can say." While fans might have hoped for a trailer or screenshots, this confirmation should ease concerns, especially amidst restructuring at Square Enix and a lack of updates.
All we have of Dragon Quest 12 is this logo, released in 2021.
In May 2024, Horii acknowledged the significant losses to the Dragon Quest team, noting the deaths of character designer Akira Toriyama and composer Koichi Sugiyama. Additionally, the series' lead producer Yu Miyake had stepped down to lead Square Enix's mobile game division. Despite these changes, Horii's commitment to Dragon Quest 12 remains unwavering, promising fans that the game will be worth the wait.
