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 Dragon Quest 11: Echoes of an Elusive Age in 2017. Despite the long silence since the last update in February, when Horii mentioned the development team at Square Enix was "working hard" and promised that information would be released "little by little," fans have been left in the dark until now.
In a recent interview with Gamereactor, Horii once again reached out to reassure the fanbase. He apologized for the lack of updates, 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 this statement may not be as concrete as a trailer or screenshots, it should provide some comfort to those 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, adding another layer of uncertainty to the project. Additionally, the series' lead producer Yu Miyake had already stepped down to lead Square Enix's mobile game division, further complicating the development landscape. Nonetheless, Horii's commitment to the project remains steadfast, and fans are encouraged to stay tuned for future updates.
