Yuji Horii Silent on Dragon Quest 12 Details, Assures Hard Work on Sequel

Fans of the iconic Dragon Quest series can breathe a sigh of relief as series creator Yuji Horii has confirmed that Dragon Quest 12: The Flames of Fate has not been canceled. Announced as part of the franchise's 35th anniversary celebration in 2021, Dragon Quest 12 marks the first mainline entry since Dragon Quest 11: Echoes of an Elusive Age in 2017. Despite the prolonged silence since the last update in February, where Horii mentioned that the development team at Square Enix was "working hard" and promised more information would be released gradually, fans have been left in the dark.

In a recent interview with Gamereactor, Horii once again addressed the status of the game, reassuring fans that development is ongoing. "Yes, indeed, I can't say anything, I apologize," he stated. "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 this update might not be as detailed as fans might hope for, such as a trailer or screenshots, it should ease concerns about the project's fate 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 noted the deaths of Dragon Quest character designer Akira Toriyama and composer Koichi Sugiyama. Additionally, the series’ lead producer Yu Miyake had already stepped down from his position to lead Square Enix’s mobile game division, adding to the uncertainty surrounding the project. Despite these challenges, Horii's reassurances should keep the flame of anticipation burning for Dragon Quest 12: The Flames of Fate.