Dragon Quest XII: The Flames of Fate was announced way back in 2021 at the series’ 35th anniversary event, where publisher Square Enix showed nothing more than a logo. Since then, the game has been under wraps, and so little has been said about it that many fans speculated that it may have been shelved. However, series creator Yuji Horii recently confirmed that he and his studio continue to be hard at work on the game.
In an interview with Gamereactor, Horii stated that work on Dragon Quest XII was still underway. Despite not being able to share any details about gameplay, Horii said, “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.” He also called for fans to remain excited for the future of the franchise: “Please look forward to it, is the only thing I can say.”
With the game now very likely to launch after the release of the Switch 2, Horii was asked if there are any plans for the new console, especially considering the franchise’s past commercial successes on the original Switch. Although Horii is vague in the interview about what Dragon Quest properties might come to the new system, he mentioned, “I believe it could be compatible with Switch 2 as well.”
Most of the specifics we know about Dragon Quest XII come from Horii’s statements from around the time of its original announcement four years ago. He shared that the game is meant to provide players more options and more choices with how to play, and that Square Enix will be significantly changing the franchise’s command battle system.
While Dragon Quest XII may be a ways off, fans of the series still have something to look forward to this year: Dragon Quest I + II HD-2D preorders are now live and will launch later in 2025. This remake follows up last year’s release of Dragon Quest III HD-2D.
