Yuji Horii on Dragon Quest 12: 'Putting Lots of Work Into' Mysterious Sequel

Dragon Quest fans 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 series' 35th anniversary celebration in 2021, Dragon Quest 12 marks the first mainline entry since 2017's Dragon Quest 11: Echoes of an Elusive Age. Since its announcement, updates have been scarce, with the last news coming in February when Horii mentioned that the development team at Square Enix is “working hard” and promised to release information "little by little."

Despite the subsequent silence, Horii has now provided reassurance in a recent interview with Gamereactor. "Yes, indeed, I can't say anything, I apologize," he stated, emphasizing that he is "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 doesn't include trailers or screenshots, it should ease the concerns of fans worried about the game's status amid 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. Additionally, the series' lead producer Yu Miyake had already stepped down to lead Square Enix’s mobile game division by that point. Despite these changes, Horii's commitment to the project remains strong, and fans are encouraged to stay tuned for further developments on Dragon Quest 12: The Flames of Fate.