Fans of the iconic Dragon Quest series can breathe a sigh of relief as Yuji Horii, the creator behind the franchise, has confirmed that Dragon Quest 12: The Flames of Fate is still in development and has not been canceled. Announced during the 35th anniversary celebration of the series back in 2021, Dragon Quest 12 marks the first mainline installment since Dragon Quest 11: Echoes of an Elusive Age in 2017. Since its announcement, updates have been scarce, with the last word from Horii coming in February, where he mentioned that the team at Square Enix is diligently working on the game, promising information would be shared gradually.
True to his word, there has been a period of silence until now. In a recent interview with Gamereactor, Horii broke his silence once again to assure fans that the project remains on course. "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 might not be as substantial as a trailer or screenshots, it should ease the concerns of fans worried about the game's fate amidst restructuring at Square Enix and a lack of updates.
In May 2024, Horii noted the deaths of Dragon Quest character designer Akira Toriyama and composer Koichi Sugiyama, significant losses for the series. Additionally, the lead producer Yu Miyake had already stepped down to lead Square Enix's mobile game division, adding to the uncertainty surrounding Dragon Quest 12. However, Horii's latest reassurances should provide fans with hope and anticipation for what's to come.
