Summary
- Series creator Yuji Horii says that Dragon Quest 12’s development is progressing well.
- Dragon Quest 12: The Flames of Fate was announced in 2020, but lack of updates has prompted some fans to become concerned.
- Dragon Quest 1 & 2 HD-2D Remake will be released later in 2025.
Yuji Horii, the creator of Dragon Quest, said that the development team is working hard on Dragon Quest 12: The Flames of Fate. While this might seem like a somewhat scarce piece of information, it’s a positive update for fans who are willing to take any news they can get. Dragon Quest 12: The Flames of Fate was announced three years ago and players have only seen a few tiny updates since, leading many to believe it might be going through a rocky development period.
Dragon Quest 11 was released in 2017 and is considered one of the masterpieces of the JRPG genre. In 2020, the series turned 25, and to celebrate, Dragon Quest 12: The Flames of Fate was revealed. However, the announcement seemed a bit premature because Square Enix has disclosed very little about the next mainline entry in the series since then. The company’s focus has been on the Dragon Quest 3 Remake, released last November, and now on the upcoming remake of the duology that will see Dragon Quest 1 & 2 HD-2D Remake released in 2025.
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Recently, Yuji Horii provided an update (via Automaton) on Dragon Quest 12’s development to ease fan concerns. According to Horii, the team is working hard on Dragon Quest 12, and he hopes to share new information about the game little by little. The previous Dragon Quest 12 update Horii provided came in May 2024, on what is known as Dragon Quest Day. In the video, he said the team was “working hard” on development, showing a consistent pattern in his statements about the JRPG.
Dragon Quest 12: The Flames of Fate is Progressing Smoothly
While this might seem like an inconsequential update, any positive news about Dragon Quest 12 is already good news. Past reports indicated that the game had suffered some delays and that Yu Miyake, the longtime producer of the series, was stepping down from Dragon Quest 12. This change in production happened during a period during which Square Enix was restructuring its internal operations, canceling multiple games, and completely changing its development pipeline.
Miyake’s departure left a bad impression on the most dedicated fans because, after Dragon Quest 12 was announced, Horii mentioned that the game would introduce some changes compared to previous titles. First, the new installment would feature a darker and more mature story, something unusual for the series. Second, the creator said the team was prototyping new iterations of command-based battles, suggesting that Dragon Quest 12 might not be turn-based. This revelation spurred a range of emotions in fans, who regard Dragon Quest as one of the few contemporary series maintaining its classic essence.
Until an official announcement is made about Dragon Quest 12: The Flames of Fate‘s gameplay, any changes are speculative. For now, fans can either enjoy Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remake or await the upcoming Dragon Quest 1 & 2 HD-2D Remake while the next mainline entry is still under wraps.
Dragon Quest 12: The Flames of Fate is an upcoming entry in the long-running Dragon Quest series. The game was announced on May 27th, 2021, which was the 35th anniversary of the iconic role-playing series.
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Unreal Engine 5
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