Yuji Horii Teases Dragon Quest 12: 'Lots of Work' but No Details Yet

The legendary creator of Dragon Quest, Yuji Horii, has put to rest any concerns about the status of Dragon Quest 12: The Flames of Fate, confirming that the project has not been canceled. Announced during the series' 35th anniversary celebration in 2021, Dragon Quest 12 marked the first mainline installment since 2017's Dragon Quest 11: Echoes of an Elusive Age. Despite the excitement surrounding its announcement, updates have been sparse. The last official word came in February when Horii reassured fans that the development team at Square Enix was diligently working on the game and promised that information would be shared gradually.

True to his word, the flow of information has been minimal, but Horii has recently broken the silence once again in an interview with Gamereactor. 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 fans might have hoped for more concrete details like a trailer or screenshots, this reassurance should ease concerns about the game's future, especially amidst restructuring at Square Enix and a lack of updates.

In May 2024, Horii also acknowledged the tragic losses of Dragon Quest's character designer Akira Toriyama and composer Koichi Sugiyama. Additionally, the series' lead producer, Yu Miyake, had already transitioned to lead Square Enix's mobile game division, adding another layer of change to the development landscape.