Yuji Horii Hints at Hard Work on Secretive Dragon Quest 12

Fans of the legendary 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 during the series' 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 quiet period following its announcement, Horii broke the silence in February, stating that the team at Square Enix is diligently working on the game and promised that information would be shared gradually.

True to his word, updates have been sparse, but in a recent interview with Gamereactor, Horii reassured fans once more that the project remains on track. "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 not as substantial as a trailer or screenshots, this update should ease the concerns of fans worried about the game'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 acknowledged the significant losses to the Dragon Quest team, including the deaths of character designer Akira Toriyama and composer Koichi Sugiyama. Additionally, lead producer Yu Miyake had stepped down to head Square Enix's mobile game division. Despite these changes, Horii's commitment to Dragon Quest 12 remains unwavering, and fans can continue to anticipate its release.