Yuji Horii Vague on Dragon Quest 12, Confirms Hard Work on Sequel

Yuji Horii, the mastermind behind the beloved Dragon Quest series, has recently put fans' minds at ease by confirming that Dragon Quest 12: The Flames of Fate is still very much in development and has not been canceled. This reassurance comes after a period of silence since the game's announcement back in 2021, as part of the franchise's 35th anniversary celebrations. It marks the first mainline entry since Dragon Quest 11: Echoes of an Elusive Age released in 2017.

In February, Horii had already provided a glimmer of hope, stating that the development team at Square Enix was "working hard" and that information would be shared "little by little." True to his word, updates have been sparse, but in a recent interview with Gamereactor, Horii once again reassured fans that the project remains on track. "Yes, indeed, I can't say anything, I apologize," he shared. "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 are eagerly awaiting more concrete details such as trailers or screenshots, Horii's latest comments should provide some relief, especially amidst concerns fueled by restructuring at Square Enix and a noticeable lack of updates.

In May 2024, Horii also acknowledged the significant losses the series faced with the passing of Dragon Quest 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, marking a pivotal shift in the team's dynamics.