In a recent broadcast, Dragon Quest series creator Yuji Horii announced that a special live stream will be held on May 27 to celebrate the series’ 40th anniversary. Horii also revealed that an announcement about the next game will be made.
“We’ll be doing a live stream on May 27,” Horii said. “I think we’ll be able to make an announcement about the next game. We’ll also have various other things besides the next game, so please look forward to it.”
It is worth noting that the next mainline installment in the series, Dragon Quest XII: The Flames of Fate, was announced during the series’ 35th anniversary in 2021. While all other games announced at that event have since been released, Dragon Quest XII has yet to receive any updates. Although it is unclear which specific game Horii was referring to, it is likely that Dragon Quest XII is “the next game” mentioned. The broadcast in which Horii made this announcement has since been made private, suggesting that the news may have been shared earlier than intended.
Back in 2021, Square Enix president and CEO Yosuke Matsuda stated in an issue of Weekly Famitsu that the upcoming game is being developed with the next two decades of the series in mind. “Dragon Quest XII is being developed taking into account the next 10 to 20 years of the Dragon Quest series,” Matsuda said.
He added, “There are parts that remain consistent with the traditional image of Dragon Quest, but new elements are also necessary. After all, as a brand we always need to innovate.”
